Mads blends into the crowd

She may be able to drive in a bullet-proof BMW but when Madonna is out and about in London she likes nothing better than to get on her bike.

For the superstar singer weaving through traffic like a Londoner born and bred, it is a far cry from the days when she took to the park for a daily jog with at least 10 bodyguards and the world's press in tow.

Her flat cap, sunglasses and mountain bike seemed to make her invisible to the hordes of tourists as she and husband Guy Ritchie pedalled happily round Hyde Park Corner.

The pair returned to their £6 million home in Marylebone, happily posing for photographers after a ride through the park, with a stop to feed the ducks.

Security at their townhouse was stepped up this month following fears that Madonna, 44, was about to be targeted by obsessive fans. She doubled the number of CCTV cameras, installed a team of permanent security guards and requested more frequent police patrols.

The singer also bought a top-of-the-range BMW 760 with bullet-proof windows - though she insists she prefers her Mini Cooper.

The new measures were taken after concerns were aired by her current security team that she might be in danger of attack.

Since she returned from the US, fans have begun flocking to the property from around the world. On any given day, up to 20 will visit, take pictures, or loiter outside waiting for autographs.

Madonna now has four security guards living on the premises permanently. There are eight CCTV cameras, and a control room with screens giving 360-degree views.

A source said "She now uses the new BMW for all official appearances. It is a tough car and really shifts. But it has to do that, since she's often chased through the streets by fans in cars and on motorbikes."

One reason she has taken to two wheels is her frustration at the congestion charge. She has complained: "I love my little Mini Cooper. But now I have to pay because I don't have a listed phone number. I don't want to have a listed phone number. It's annoying. It's the principle."

But considering that she is forced to spend much of her time flanked by bodyguards, behind blackened windows in chauffeurdriven cars, it is small wonder that a simple bike ride in the park seems so appealing.

She has frequently spoken about her love of living in Britain, and recently attacked critics who suggested she was unhappy in London. "I'm not delighted that people keep writing that I don't like it here, though," she said. "I mean why did I buy so many houses here, then?"