Arsenal billionaire buys £48m London estate

A billionaire Arsenal shareholder has bought a historic £48 million estate in Hampstead.

Uzbekistan-born Alisher Usmanov, 54, who owns a 23 per cent stake in the club and is a friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, bought the Regency-style house at a "knock-down" price after it was on the market for £65 million.

The sale of Beechwood, from the Emir of Qatar, was shrouded in secrecy, with only one published picture of the estate. One property expert said: "It is magnificent."

The purchase makes the 1840 house one of the most expensive in London. The Grade-II listed building is set in 11 acres of woodland and has eight bedroom suites.