Rita Ora has ‘left locals furious after spending the COVID-19 lockdown at a rented farmhouse 150 miles away from her London abode’.
The singer, 29, is said to be staying with five people at the rural property in south-west England on a trip booked prior to the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation, with the group working on her new album.
Rita and friends are said to have left local residents furious after they were ‘shooed away’ on nearby public footpaths and drones were used to ‘follow them’.
Fury: Rita Ora has reportedly left locals furious after spending the COVID-19 lockdown at a rented farmhouse 150 miles away from her London abode
Rita’s posse is also said to have been ‘shouted at by a farmer’ after they entered private land.
The star arrived at the farmhouse on March 21 before Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK on lockdown to tackle the coronavirus crisis, reports The Sun.
The publication also claims that a local wrote on an online residents’ group: ‘Surely she should respect the rules and have stayed in f****** London?’
While a different local is said to have accused Rita’s ‘screaming’ security staff of reducing her son, seven, ‘to tears’ on a public footpath nearby with a drone used to ‘follow’ them as they ‘walked away’.
Rural retreat: The singer, 29, is said to be staying with five people at the rural property in south-west England on a trip booked prior to the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation
Unimpressed: Rita and friends are said to have left local residents furious after they were ‘shooed away’ on nearby public footpaths and drones were used to ‘follow them’
Yet despite the alleged furore surrounding her stay, a ‘friend’ told the publication: ‘She is deadly serious about coronavirus lockdown and doing her bit by self- isolating and not travelling home.’
They also denied any ‘raucous parties’ or upsetting behaviour to locals.
MailOnline has contacted Rita’s representative for comment.
Rita has been sharing several snaps from her farmhouse stay to Instagram during lockdown using the hashtag #stayhome.
Anger: The group have reportedly left local residents furious
Before lockdown: The star arrived at the farmhouse on March 21 before Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK on lockdown to tackle the coronavirus crisis, reports The Sun (Rita has been sharing several snaps and inspiring messages, pictured, from her farmhouse stay)
Just last week, the singer shared several racy snaps of herself posing in shorts and wellies as she admitted she was ‘grateful’ to have ‘access to a safe place once a day to walk and breathe in fresh air’.
Rita has been praising her ‘heroic’ mother Vera, 55, who has returned to her previous role as a psychiatrist and GP in a bid to help those struggling with their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.
The star recently revealed on This Morning that her mum inspired her to become a NHS volunteer during the pandemic.
Rita is just one of 750,000 plus UK residents who answered the government’s call to sign up as an NHS volunteer, to complete tasks such as the delivery of essential medicine or providing transport for those in need of medical treatment.
Meanwhile the singer joins a list of celebrities who have come under fire from local residents for leaving London amid the pandemic.
Caring: Rita has been praising her ‘heroic’ mother Vera, 55, who has returned to her previous role as a psychiatrist and GP in a bid to help those struggling with their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis… the singer has also become a NHS volunteer
Only recently Gordon Ramsay and his family angered locals for fleeing to their £4million beachfront home in Cornwall in order to isolate during the crisis.
Locals set up a Facebook group entitled You Shouldn’t Be Here in which one villager said they wanted the chef to get ‘the hell out of Cornwall’.
Residents in the West Country have now called for tougher action to be taken on people travelling to their holiday homes amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Second home owners have been accused of sneaking into the area in the dead of night, and local authorities have now asked for road blocks to be put in place in order to stop people getting into tourist hot spots.
Last month, Kirstie Allsopp was forced to hit out at rumours that she was travelling whilst self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms.
Not happy: Only recently Gordon Ramsay and his family angered locals for fleeing to their £4million beachfront home in Cornwall in order to isolate during the crisis
Taking to Twitter with a furious rant, she lashed out after a story claimed she was residing in a holiday home in Devon. The star revealed she has two homes in Devon and her family are staying in their permanent residence.
While David and Victoria Beckham became the latest second home celebrities to face a backlash from locals for staying in the countryside during the coronavirus lockdown.
Residents in the Cotswolds where the Beckhams have a £6million bolthole have spoken out against the former footballer and his family.
One woman who works at the butchers near their home in Great Tew, Oxfordshire, said: ‘The Beckhams and these other fancy folks who think it’s a good idea to self-isolate in the country are just being selfish.’
Hitting back: Last month, Kirstie Allsopp was forced to hit out at rumours that she was travelling whilst self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms
While a local councillor added: ‘Showing off your beautiful country mansion on social media and telling us all what a wonderful time you’re having is just rubbing our noses in it.
‘The Beckhams and other celebrities are just being stupid, irresponsible and insensitive.’
The family left their London home to stay at their countryside property before the UK was put on lockdown on March 23.
So far there has been 93,873 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12,107 deaths in the UK alone.
Second homeowners: While David and Victoria Beckham became the latest second home celebrities to face a backlash from locals for staying in the countryside during the coronavirus lockdown (the family pictured at their Cotswolds’ abode in 2019)