Status Quo singer gets eco-home

FRANCIS ROSSI has splashed out on an environmentally-friendly state-of-the-art home after he said he was concerned about his carbon footprint.

The Status Quo lead guitarist has put his 10-bedroom mansion in Croydon on the market for £3.5million and is set to move a mile away into his new eco-house.

The 59-year-old father of eight, has lived with second wife Eileen on the sprawling two-and-a-half acre estate - which has a heated indoor swimming pool and music studio - for the past 30 years.

Rossi's estate agent Jeremy Way, of Hirch, Way and Amber estate agents in Purley, south London, confirmed today that the rocker's home was on the market. He said: "Mr Rossi is moving into an all-singing, all-dancing state-of-the-art new home. He is very conscious of environmental issues and is moving to a house with a much better environmental rating."

Rossi's neighbour Graham Hendry, 45, said: "I know he's just moving down the road, but it was great to say that a member of the Quo lived next door. "He is a great guy and was our own in-house celebrity. I'll be sad to see him go."

A spokesman for Mr Rossi said: "We will not comment on Mr Rossi's personal life as we like to keep it as private as possible."

Rossi, who formed the legendary rock band in 1967 and has sold 188million records worldwide, recently made the headlines after imposter Graham Tumber tricked Dover Council into believing he was the Status Quo frontman.

The 56-year-old builder from Kent promised a councillor that the band would play a free concert at the port and he was given VIP treatment for a year, despite looking nothing like the singer.

The real Francis Rossi laughed the incident off and said: "We want him to come to one of our shows to have a picture of him. He has so much front. "To fool so many people in a town like Dover is pretty impressive."