Ed Sheeran has "24-hour security" guarding his family because there are "lots of dangerous people out there".

The pop star has insisted on tough security measures at his expansive property in Suffolk - where he lives with his wife Cherry and their two daughters - as well as bodyguards when they are all out and about because a "couple of weird things" have happened over the years including an attempted break-in.

During an appearance on 'The Louis Theroux Podcast', Ed explained: "I do think that there is a different kind of normal that is our business. I have like 24-hour security on my house. I have security with my kids.

"I have security with me. I have security with my wife, just because there have been a couple of weird things over the years that have happened.'

Just so you know there's lots of dangerous people out there. We've had like you know a break-in attempt.

"In my industry, that's normal. That's kind of like an underlying thing that no one really talks about, but that is kind of a part of being in the public eye."

Ed and Cherry are parents to Lyra, four, and Jupiter, two, and the singer is determined to stop his kids being photographed because he wants to protect their privacy for as long as possible.

He added: "I'm very, very private about my children's image ... I can't take them to zoos or parks or anything really without someone trying to film them. "There are times where the normal parts of life I kind of mourn for and wish I could push my kid on a swing in a public park and it not be weird, you know?"

Ed pointed out that his kids "have not signed up" to the pitfalls of fame and success.

The Perfect hitmaker explained: "People go, well that's the trade-off. But my kids have not signed up to that."

The singer went on to insist that he prefers to take commercial flights rather than hide away on private jets but it can lead to problems.

He explained: "We're flying back on Ryanair from a gig in Italy last year but all of my fans who'd been at the gig were flying back!

"I like the environment, I like trees. I'd find it hard to justify. No one's perfect. When we're doing intense promo trips, there will be the odd time [taking a private jet]."