Queen fans are devastated after a shrine dedicated to Freddie Mercury at his £20million mansion was ripped down by his ex-girlfriend.

Mary Austin is said to have become annoyed with constant graffiti and vandalism at Garden Lodge in plush Kensington, west London.

Ms Austin, 66, who dated Mercury in the 1970s and lived with him for 20 years, was left the property and his £9million fortune in his will.

A fan stands by a shrine to Freddie Mercury at the Queen singer's £20million mansion in Kensington, west London

Queen fans leave heartfelt messages and pictures to Mercury on the wall of Garden Lodge

All the tributes are ripped from the wall after Mercury's ex-girlfriend and owner of Garden Lodge became sick of the cost of vandalism

Fans of the Queen frontman would visit to scrawling messages on its garden walls, leaving poetry, pictures and flowers.

But Ms Austin has now put up warning signs threatening to report people to the police if they leave tributes.

Jacky Smith, of the Official International Queen Fan Club, said: 'Mary is sick to death of her private home being defaced.

'That used to be the main entrance into the house and it got carved on, written on and ruined so many times that she had to replace it again and again and again.

'It's not just her, every house there is multi million pounds and they don't want to look out of their windows and doors and see a whole wall covered in writing.

'It's costing her an absolute fortune.

Ms Austin (right, at Mercury's funeral in 1991) dated the Queen singer (left, during a performance at Live Aid in 1985) during the 1970s and was left Garden Lodge and his £9million estate in his will

'She tried to turn a blind eye to it for a long time, but the neighbours have nagged her consistently and also it is a private home. It's her sanctuary, as much as anyone's home is.

'The fans are more than welcome to go there. She takes in the flowers and all that kind of stuff, but I personally don't see why they want to deface it all the time. Freddie's not there to read it.

'And he loved that house. He absolutely loved that house when he was alive. It was his bolthole, it was his sanctuary. He'd be turning in his grave if he knew people were ruining it.'

Just last month was still be covered in notes pinned to the brickwork, fans' artwork, gifts, messages scrawled in pens, paint, and even Tipp-Ex.

Originally tributes from fans were left preserved behind a perspex cover, but that has now been ripped down

Notes and tributes to Mercury are scrawled across the door to Garden Lodge and left on the property's wall

However, all traces of the shrine had vanished by this week with the wall scrubbed and anti-graffiti paint put in place.

The gate has been covered over in plastic sheeting with signs warning: 'Graffiti is a crime. CCTV in operation. Private property.'

Even neighbours in the posh street are upset that the shrine is gone.

One said: 'I didn't mind the wall, I thought it was a nice gesture. I think most of the neighbours were fine with it too, I heard it was Mary Austin who wanted it gone.'

Another said: 'It's a bit of a shame really. I actually think it gave the road something a bit special.'

One said: 'It made absolutely no difference to me. It didn't bother me at all. In a way it was kind of nice people still remember him this long after his death.'

Fans leave commemorative balloons and write notes at the singer's beloved west London pad

Queen fans pose for photos at Garden Lodge, with many travelling across the world to visit

For more than a quarter of a century, fans have made pilgrimages from across the world to pay their respects to the rock'n'roll legend, who died aged 45 on November 24, 1991, from AIDS-induced pneumonia.

Long-term friend Ms Austin, nursed Mercury until his death and later inherited the house.

Garden Lodge has long been a place for Queen fans to visit because the singer's actual resting place remains unknown.

Music-lovers travel from as far as Italy, Spain and Romania to see the house, which Mercury moved into in 1985, shortly before he was diagnosed with the disease that ended his life.

Tripadvisor is full of gushing reviews about the wall's significance. Earlier this month fans were still posting pictures of it covered in tributes.

They have been left annoyed by its removal.

Ms Austin has taken new security measures to stop the vandalism to her home, including putting up CCTV, a perspex cover over the door, written warnings and anti-vandal paint

A sign warning people the fence has been covered in anti-vandal paint sits at Garden Lodge

Queen fan Taylor Daley said she was upset when she visited - but slid a note under the glass anyway.

She said: 'It's a sad day at [Garden Lodge].

'For the first time I've come since 2012, plexiglass covers my favourite door without a scribble in sight & it has ceased to be painted its iconic green.

'I cried at the empty spaces once filled with beautiful, heartfelt messages from people around the world* what a sad moment.'

Another fan called Gabrielle said: 'Too bad they took down all the fans' letters.'

Italian Gianluca Rossicianetti said the makeover left Mercury's former sanctuary looking like a 'Bunker lodge'.

He formed Queen in 1970 with pals Brian May, 70, and Roger Taylor, 68, and the trio went on to sell 300 million records.

Their Greatest Hits album remains the best-selling of all time in Britain, with 6.1m sold and 158 weeks in the top 50.

Famed for his promiscuity, Mercury admitted bedding up to six men a night during a period of extreme physical excess.

Bandmate Brian May later said he had

A fan leaves a tribute to Mercury at Garden Lodge that reads: 'There can be only one'

The wall cleared of all tributes at Garden Lodge, a move that has left Queen fans devastated

know for years Mercury was gay, saying: 'It was fairly obvious when the visitors to Freddie's dressing room started to change from hot chicks to hot men.

'It didn't matter to us, why should it?'

His body ravaged by AIDS, he later withdrew to Garden Lodge where he was looked after by a close-knit inner circle.

He only admitted he had the misunderstood condition a day before his death, telling fans: 'The time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease.'

The fan club has repeatedly tried to erect a statue to the star in London, but has always been thwarted.

Ms Smith said plans had been turned down in Kensington, Hyde Park and Imperial College due to fears over graffiti and desecration.

She added: 'Eventually we just gave up.'