Police were called to the country estate near London of former Beatle Paul McCartney after his estranged wife reported the theft of paintings — including a Picasso and a Renoir — from the lodge they once shared, police said Friday.

"We checked the premises and spoke to Heather Mills (McCartney), and as a result it was found to be a civil matter between her and her husband," Sussex Police spokesman Paddy Rea said. "There's been no theft."

Mills called police Thursday night after discovering that paintings valued at an estimated $19.5 million had gone missing, The Sun newspaper reported Friday.

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The Sun, quoting an unidentified friend of Mills McCartney, said that McCartney had taken the paintings and reprogrammed the estate's alarm codes, and informed her Thursday night by text message.

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