David Beckham arrives in Trinidad amid abduction fears

To help swing the 2018 World Cup bid in England's favour, midfielder David Beckham arrived in Trinidad and Tobago amid a huge security operation over fears that he could be an abduction target.

The former England skipper, who arrived in the Caribbean on Sunday morning, was greeted with a huge police presence, with scores of plain-clothes bodyguards to protect him.

Trinidad is a world famous tourism hotspot as well as the world's kidnap and murder capital, The Daily Star reports.

A senior police officer said: "We will be taking no risks with our dignitaries. Security is at its highest."

This year alone there have been a staggering 354 murders, among a population of around 1.1million.

Beckham, 35, arrived in Trinidad by private jet. He then watched the women's U17 World Cup final alongside Fifa president Sepp Blatter and will today launch a football festival for youngsters on the islands.