Geri Horner accused of disrupting villagers’ phone signals

Former Spice Girl’s Northamptonshire neighbours claim she knocked out mobile reception to build new barn

Geri Horner has angered Northamptonshire villagers after building a new barn that has supposedly interfered with their phone reception.

The former Spice Girl reportedly knocked out mobile reception in order to build a barn to house her 14 horses on her country estate near Brackley.

“The barn has affected mobile phone signals in the village without a doubt,” a letter of objection read, adding: “No notice of planning permission notices ever erected in retrospect or any planning.”

According to Northampton Chronicle & Echo, the 50-year-old pop singer’s neighbours have also complained that her horses are “a menace” to the public and that the “hideous” barn has “re-routed public footpaths”.

Marston St Lawrence villagers have also criticised West Northamptonshire Council for “caving in” to the wealthy for allowing the construction to go ahead despite objections.

“This is not a verbal attack on the rich, this is a breach of fairness to all. Favouritism is being shown here,” one said.

Horner and her husband, former F1 racer Christian Horner, have been granted part-retrospective planning permission for the housing scheme, which is said to have already been underway at their countryside home.

Spice Girls (Getty Images)

The council said permission was granted on the condition it was used for “private equestrian and land management uses only” and “no commercial use, including riding lessons, tuition, livery or competitions shall take place at any time”.

The council officer said: “West Northamptonshire Council always seeks to look for solutions rather than problems so that applications for sustainable development can be approved, thereby resulting in improvements to the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area.”

The Independent has contacted Horner’s representatives for comment.

Earlier this month, Horner (Ginger Spice) reunited with former Spice Girls, Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) Mel C (Sporty Spice) and Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) to celebrate her 50th birthday.

A video, shared by Beckham’s former footballer husband David Beckham, showed them all dancing to their 1996 song “Say You’ll Be There”. Mel B (Scary Spice) didn’t appear in the video, but she was reportedly in attendance as well.

Formed in 1994, the five-piece British girl group led the teen pop resurgence of the 1990s.

Their 1996 debut single “Wannabe” topped the charts in 37 countries, and was followed that same year by their debut album Spice, which became the best-selling album by a female group, with over 23 million copies sold worldwide.

Additional reporting by SWNS