Camper van couple ‘gassed by thieves’ on dream road trip

Peter Gosling and Lauren Hubbard before they set out from King's Lynn on their road trip Picture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)

Pete Gosling, 26 and Lauren Hubbard, 27, from Wootton Road, King's Lynn, were planning to spend six months driving around Europe in a camper van. On Tuesday they stopped off to sleep at a lorry park near Marseille in the south of France, en route from Italy to Spain.

Mr Gosling said when they woke the following morning, they realised that the van had been burgled.

'When we rose in the morning we realised our glove box was open and bags moved into the front of the van and tipped out,' he said.

'After checking the doors were locked. We just thought it was odd but nothing seemed to be missing.

The couple visited Austria as one of their first destinations Picture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)

'After leaving and getting to the toll road payment machine we opened my wallet to see all my cards and money had been taken, leaving us only with five cents and the toll card.

'My wallet and girlfriend's bag were right beside where we slept. We must have felt their breath.

'We believe we must have been gassed as they managed to unlock the camper van, come right up to where we slept and take my wallet and my girlfriend's bag.'

The couple are seasoned travellers, having spent a year travelling around Asia.

The road disappears into the Austrian landscape Picture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)

Anglian Water worker Mr Gosling said the ordeal had made them feel 'vulnerable', and they planned to sell their VW Crafter van and come home. But their troubles were not over yet.

'One hour after realising the incident had occurred our van broke down on the motorway,' said Mr Gosling. 'After getting towed for a whopping 456 euros to a nearby garage, there was a coffee machine.

'My girlfriend asked me to go in the van and grab our bag of coins so we could share a coffee after a terrible morning. When I looked we realised they even stole our bag of coins.

'After travelling Asia for a year with no problems, the last place we expected to get robbed was at a service station in France. There are some vile people around and we feel totally shocked by what happened. The wrong dosage of gas could have killed us in our sleep and it's sickening to think about.'

The view from the passenger seat high in the hills at Afragola, in Italy Picture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)

Celebrities including former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond and his wife have been targeted in similar circumstances on the French Riviera.

Peter Gosling in Rome Piccture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)

In the mountains of Italy last week Picture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)

Lauren Hubbard enjoys the hot springs of Italy Piccture: Peter Gosling (Image: Archant)