19 DECEMBER 2002
Sting's Christmas shopping has got off to an extravagant start with the purchase of a £7,000 live Christmas tree. The enduring rock star also hired a specialist florist to help with the decoration, according to press reports.

But the flamboyant purchase was far from being the most costly item on Mr Sumner's festive shopping list. He has also paid £3.5 million for a piece of farmland surrounding his holiday home in Tuscany.

While the tree has been installed at his mansion in Wiltshire, the former Police frontman will no doubt want to get to work on his newly-acquired Italian property in the New Year.

Located just south of Florence, the 200-acre site includes olive groves and ten derelict cottages. The singer was obviously eager to get his hands on it as he faced stiff competition from another bidder and wound up paying £400,000 over the asking price.

Italy's Mediterranean coast seems to have become the 51-year-old's favourite place to work. He has also built a recording studio in his villa there, where he produced his last album.

He is not the only star to have fallen for the sun-drenched Tuscan coast. Richard Gere, Antonio Banderas and Bryan Ferry all have homes there too. It's a long way from the streets of Newcastle-upon-Tyne where the singer grew up.