A teenage boy managed to sneak into the UK by hiding inside a couples car roof box.
Simon Fenton, 57, had spent August in the Dordogne region of France with his wife Sally, also 57, where they had been hiking and cycling.
On August 30, he had to leave his Skoda 4×4 in the street as it was too high for a hotel garage.
The next day, they sailed back to Dover and drove three hours back home to Newbury in Berkshire.
Simon went inside to watch the rugby, planning to get their things out later, but rushed back outside when he heard Sally screaming.
He said he saw the sole of a shoe stick out the side of the roof box, then a hand appeared.
Simon called police, who wrenched the stowaway out of the roof box with a crowbar.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The boy, who was around 5ft 5 inches, told them in broken Dutch and German that he was 17 and from Egypt.
Simon claimed the boy said he and his friends had stolen their expensive shows
Simon said: [The police] actually told us – Stand back, he might have a gun.
Needless to say, the roof box was completely damaged.
Wed also spent a fortune on shoes – sandals, evening shoes, boots – for the trip, and we had the camera and the dog bed all in there.