Former ‘Top Gear’ host Richard Hammond and his family were the victims of a robbery while on holiday in the South of France, it has been revealed.
The presenter’s wife Mindy believes they were gassed by intruders at their holiday home in San Tropez.
The Express columnist says that just hours after hosting a 1920s-themed cocktail party, the group of burglars struck as Richard and 15 other guests slept.
According to Mindy, the raiders may have used an anaesthetic gas to knock the guests out so they could rifle through their belongings.
Speaking to the Express, Mindy said: “The real horror story for me was that the night before we were late to bed and I heard a door downstairs shut.
“I thought, ‘That’s a bit bizarre’, and decided I had to check it. I went downstairs and into the hallway. The door into the living room was shut but I heard a male voice behind the door. I thought it was another couple staying up and went back to bed.
“Actually, it was the burglars.”
The columnist added: “I’m pretty convinced we must have been gassed or something, because they were in all of the bedrooms – they went where they wanted, into each room, opening and closing the drawers, searching through handbags etc.
“You have got to have some kind of confidence to do that and to be quite satisfied that people aren’t going to wake up.”
The next day the couple’s 15-year-old daughter, Willow, realised her watch was nowhere to be found. Other guests then noticed that cash had gone missing from their bags.
The raiders, who also targeted neighbouring villas on the same night, were arrested days later after being caught on CCTV.
Gas raids have been reported in the holiday region before.
In 2015, former F1 driver Jenson Button and his wife Jessica were left devastated after burglars broke into their holiday home in the south of France and stole over £300,000 worth of belongings.
The couple, who were holidaying with friends at the rented villa, were also believed to have been knocked out with an anaesthetic gas during the robbery.