Man charged with stalking Christine Lampard appears in court

A man has appeared in court to be charged with stalking Christine Lampard. Christof King, an aspiring actor, reportedly sent the TV presenter letters as well as several "distressing" tweets. According to the prosecution, Christof also visited Christine's Chelsea home on several occasions, where she resides with her husband, Frank Lampard.

READ: Eddie Redmayne fan pleads guilty to stalking him for five years

Christof was charged with a single count of stalking between January 2015 and October 2017, and pled not guilty to the crime. Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that he had caused the Loose Women presenter "distress and serious alarm". He was released on conditional bail, meaning that he is not allowed in Kensington or Chelsea, and is banned from contacting Christine or Frank. His defence lawyer said: "The tweets are completely denied and the behaviour does not amount to stalking."

© Photo: PA

Christof pled not guilty 

Christine has previously opened up about an encounter with stalker, explaining on Loose Women: "There was a chap that had been sort of trying to get in contact with me for a while, he thought we were married actually, in his mind, so there was obviously problems in his own life and his own mind. But anyway, he randomly turned up at the hotel we were staying in, which does freak you out because you think there's a sense of someone knowing where you are, and Frank did go out and say, 'Look you've got to stop this, this isn't normal behaviour', and we haven't heard since, I've got to say, but those sorts of things I hear all the time."

READ: Andy Murray reveals he was stalked by hotel maid who stroked his arm while he slept

© Photo: Getty Images

Christine recounted an incident with a stalker earlier this year

Penny Lancaster also opened up about her own experience, explaining: "I had my newborn in the back of my car and I was followed by two cars which were parked outside my house. Every lane I took, this car was right up behind me. I couldn't even see number plates because it was so dangerously close."