Couple 'devastated' after £33,000 life savings stolen from motorhome during floods

A grandad has been left “devastated” after £33,000 in cash he’d been saving for his late son’s headstone was stolen from his motorhome during floods.

Phil, 68, and Dawn Henderson, 65, hid three bags of money and jewellery under a bed in their motorhome after rising water from Storm Babet threatened their property last month.

The couple had been putting cash aside for both their retirement and to purchase a gravestone for their late son, Jay Henderson, 36, who passed away from liver failure last year.

When their frequently flooded bungalow in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, looked set to be hit again on October 19 by Storm Babet, they moved their valuables to their mobile camper.

However, Mr Henderson believes thieves watched them make several trips to the van, which was only parked 10 yards from their property, before striking after midnight.

The couple’s bungalow then flooded the next day, further adding to his heartbreak. Mr Henderson said: “I lost my son last year and then this has happened. It’s absolutely devastating.

“You can’t put into words how we feel and how we’re going to move forward after this. They’ve hit the jackpot. They just robbed us. And we’re flooded as well.”

Mr and Mrs Henderson, who have run a fishery and campsite at their home address for 20 years, were previously “wiped out” by flooding in 2007, 2019 and 2022.

After getting a Government warning to prepare for rising river levels on October 19, they moved their valuables into their Fiat Kon-Tiki motorhome, which is situated on higher ground.

Their life savings included £33,000 in cash as well as gold jewellery and diamond rings, valued at around £7,000 in total.

Mr Henderson said: “We never had suspicions that there was anybody nearby. We were 10 yards away from my front door, loading my motorhome. All the lights were on in the house. We’d been preparing all day, and I’d filled the motorhome with stuff – all our life savings – and put them under the bed.”

But shortly after midnight, Mr Henderson said: “We noticed that my awning had been moved, and got into the motorhome. My wife said, ‘Check the money’ and it had all gone.”

Mr Henderson, who’s been receiving treatment for bowel cancer and has a spinal injury, now faces being forced to continue working as a valve technician at a power station.

He said: “Say your life is 12ft ruler, I’m down to 10 inches. I’ve worked all my life, and I’d have liked to have gone away and enjoyed the bit that I’ve got left. But now, I’m just living in a motorhome. I’m retirement age, and I’ve got bowel cancer.

“I’m going to have to keep working, but to be honest with you, I’m not fit enough to go to work, I’m not well enough. But I have to go.”

The ex-British champion motorbike racer had spent the past year adding £25,000 to his wife’s £8,000 in savings by selling caravans, vans, motorbikes and mopeds.

He’d planned to use at least £14,000 of the money to pay for a headstone for his son, Jay, who passed away on August 30.

Though the pair had thought about putting the money in their bank, they said they were worried about walking through the centre of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, with wads of cash.

Mr Henderson said: “When Jay died, I said I would put £14,000 away for that lad’s headstone, and if it costs more than that, I would pay more.”

Mr Henderson said he didn’t know how to put his life together after the theft and even feared his home may flood again before the end of the winter. He added: “I can’t see a way forward. I can’t rebuild the business because where we live, in the house, it’s just gone. And I haven’t got cash to do it.”

A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said: “We were called to reports of a burglary on October 20 at 1.24am.

“It was reported that a large amount of cash and jewellery were stolen from a camper van. Officers have completed CCTV enquiries in the area and enquiries are ongoing.”

The family have set up a fundraiser to help them as they try to rebuild their lives, which can be found here.