Winter Love Island villa set amidst 'rampant' gang wars that killed security boss
8 January 2020, 07:42
The South African city is home to the brand new winter Love Island villa, as well as a number of dangerous gangs.
Love Island is about to kick off once more with its first winter instalment, based in Cape Town, South Africa, but the sunny city is also pretty crime-ridden, ranking as the world's 11th deadliest city.
The Villa is set in the large city, which possesses an incredibly high murder rate and is also riddled with gang crime.
READ MORE: The full original winter Love Island cast revealed
The recent murder of Extreme Security Measures owner Tim Lotter has rocked the city last Sunday evening, after it is suspected the killing was linked to drug trade and prostitution through ownership of nightclub security.
ITV's newest season will see 12 islanders jet off to a luxurious villa in the city, with the first episode airing on Sunday, January 12th.
Show's bosses are said to be taking security measures incredibly serious, and will be patrolled by armed guards, as there are apparent fears the stars will be kidnapped.
The death of Tim Lotter had onlookers stating they'd heard sounds like "machine guns" around the time he was shot multiple times, with local gang, 'The Sexy Boys' linked to the deadly attack.
A source revealed to IOL: "Prior to his death Lotter was allegedly linked to the nightclub security controlled by the Sexy Boys and other underworld figures.
"It is alleged he jumped ship and joined forces with rivals in the underworld and when the Sexy Boys got wind of it, decided to take him out.
"His move to rival underworld figures would have resulted in huge financial losses to the Sexy Boys."
Unfortunately, Lotter's death isn't the only one, as the city has been home to a string of murders recently.
A show insider told the Star: "Producers aren’t taking any chances. It’s been arranged for armed guards to patrol the compound throughout the series."They will have them surrounding the area so there is no chance of any breaches...
"If it’s known to everyone in the area that a big TV show is in town, then it will become a target. There are concerns there could be kidnap attempts if things aren’t done carefully."
An ITV spokesperson added to The Sun Online: "The safety and security of our Islanders and crew are of the utmost importance."
