London: Celebrities David and Victoria Beckham have made 14 of their 50 employees redundant around the world after a horrified accountant warned: “You’re pouring money down the drain,” the Sun newspaper reported on Friday.

Celebrity footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria ride on a quadbike at their Hertfordshire home in 2004. The couple have reportedly made 14 of their 50 employees redundant at their various homes around the world.

Singer and fashion designer Victoria called in a money expert to overhaul their finances because she feared the high-spending lifestyle was inappropriate at a time when ordinary people are tightening their belts, the tabloid daily said.

The report cited a friend as saying: “This very no-nonsense accountant gave it to Vic straight and said, ‘You CAN afford to employ all of these people. But why the hell DO you?’”

Sizeable cuts were proposed at their main home in Hertfordshire, England, while six out of seven gardeners have been laid off at their huge estate in Bargemon in the south of France., the Sun said.

The friend told the newspaper: “There has been a large downsize. David and Victoria are multi-millionaires but that doesn’t mean they have to waste money - and they were hemorrhaging it.”

The Beckhams spend much of their time in California, where David plays for Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team. Other places where they have properties include Dubai.

The report could not immediately be confirmed.

BDST: 1811HRS, August 20, 2010