Rihanna wins major battle in leaky home war

Rihanna has been given a big boost in the legal war over her former $7 million (GBP4.4 million) Beverly Hills dream home after the seller revealed he informed brokers of the pad's leak problems.

Rihanna has since sold the place after a custom-fitted sound system was damaged and designer clothes were soiled when rainwater dripped into the house from a second storey balcony.

The singer is suing the former owner, the inspector, brokers at Prudential California Realty and engineers who worked on the home for negligence - and there was a breakthrough in the case during depositions last week (ends24Jan14) when the man she bought the place from admitted he had informed the brokers of the leak problems before the star bought the pad in 2009.

In her suit, Rihanna claims "the actual value of the property at the time of purchase... was millions of dollars less" than she paid for it.