SHORTS

Last updated : 19 October 2004 By editor

Ryan Giggs has sparked a row with plans to demolish an historic home and build one straight out of Footballers’ Wives. He paid £1.9million for his Victorian mansion — once the home of Mills and Boon author Mary Wibberley.

But Giggs plans to replace it with a six-bedroom house complete with pool and gym. Only a sun-dial from the original house will remain on the front wall of the new building.

The residents association in Worsley, Greater Manchester, is fighting the plans.

Its secretary Ian Hastie said: “The desecration of this building is deeply upsetting.”

WAYNE ROONEY is off to Lapland to see Santa — and he's taking the whole family with him. Wayne’s girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin will join him for the trip, which includes a visit to Santa’s Grotto.He is also jetting mum Jeanette, dad Wayne Snr and brothers John and Graham to the frozen north of Sweden on December 21.They will be staying at the exclusive Icehotel in a remote Swedish village called Jukkasjärvi.

A pal of the Manchester United star said: “It was going to be a big surprise for Coleen but he told her anyway. Wayne is training on Christmas Day so he’s had to arrange to go in the run-up to Christmas. It will be the full festive treatment, complete with sleigh ride. There is no expense spared and obviously Wayne can afford to push the boat out. It’s a way of him saying thank you to Coleen and his family.”