THERE was only one place in north Essex to be on Saturday night for celebrity spotters – a quiet pub in Dedham.

It was the watering hole of choice for England footballer Frank Lampard and his girlfriend, TV presenter, Christine Bleakley. The couple were spotted enjoying a quiet drink the Sun Inn in the High Street, much to the surprise of star-struck locals.

A member of staff, who asked not be named, said: “They just came in and had a drink and kept themselves to themselves.

“They were very polite and it was a nice surprise.”

Chelsea midfielder Frank, 31, and Christine, 30, who presents BBC’s the One Show, are very rarely spotted or pictured together.

A pub customer, who also asked not to be named, said the couple stayed in the pub for most of the evening. She said: “People realised who it was and it was Christine with him.

“They were really friendly and chatty to people after a while. I think everyone was quite surprised to see them.”

The sighting came five days after the couple were first photographed together, in Belfast, where Bleakley, 30, reportedly took the £120,000-a-week footballer to meet her parents.