Former tennis ace Boris Becker has accused tax officials of stealing photos of his naked pregnant wife, while searching for evidence of unpaid taxes.

Boris, 35, claims the taxmen stole the private pictures while hunting for receipts, during an investigation into tax fraud.

The revelations come in the star's new autobiography STAY A MOMENT LONGER, which have been serialised in newspapers in his native Germany this week (ends07NOV03).

Last Christmas (02), Boris received a phone call from his lawyer, who said, "Boris, stay calm, but the tax officials are in your house and they need the code for your safe."

Boris writes, "Looking back on one search I know now they must have taken away photographs of my naked pregnant wife.

"It was clear what they wanted - Boris behind bars."

The searches concluded with a back-tax demand for $8 million (GBP5 million) and a suspended jail sentence for the fallen tennis superstar.

09/11/2003 10:33