5 Charged In Posh Spice Kidnap Plot

Five men were charged Friday with plotting to kidnap Victoria Beckham, the Spice Girl wife of soccer star David Beckham.

London's Metropolitan Police said the five, who were not identified, had been charged with "the offense of conspiracy to kidnap Victoria Beckham."

They were arrested last November on suspicion of plotting the kidnapping and have been jailed ever since on other charges.

In November the tabloid News of the World told police it had discovered a plot by a gang of Romanian and Albanian kidnappers to abduct the singer from her home north of London, using a chemical spray to sedate her and her sons Brooklyn and Romeo if necessary.

They reportedly planned to seek a ransom of about 5 million pounds (US$8 million).

The Beckhams are one of Britain's most high-profile celebrity couples. In 1999 police said they had foiled a plot against Victoria and her older son Brooklyn, although no one was arrested in that case.