A FAMILY are convinced they were drugged and robbed of more than £1,000 worth of belongings as they slept in their caravan at a French service station.

Fiona and Andrew Plews fear some type of gas was pumped into their locked caravan - knocking them and their two young children unconscious, before thieves forced their way inside.

Later, Mr Plews was admitted to a high dependency hospital unit after suffering a rash and blistering on his leg, which he suspects was an adverse reaction to the gas.

"All the things that happened - you couldn't make up," said Mrs Plews, of Newton Aycliffe. "We are 99 per cent sure we had been gassed because we would have heard something.

"It didn't seem real. It wasn't until later on we realised they could have done anything - we could have found these two (the children) gone. It was scary."

Lieutenant-Colonel Philippe Marestin, of the Gendarmerie Nationale, told The Northern Echo that a report of the incident was made to French Police and that it was under investigation.

The robbery happened when the family-of-four were on their way to Disneyland Paris in August - but they only revealed the details recently following a visit by a star of Channel 5's Police Interceptors.

A neighbour told the Durham and Cleveland Specialist Operations Unit about their wrecked holiday and ten-year-old Megan and brother Adam, aged seven, were treated to a surprise visit by Damo Stevens.

"It was good to see the smiles on their faces," said Mrs Plews.

Recalling their horror holiday, she said their journey to Paris had been delayed by two hours because of a broken ramp on the ferry.

They then stopped at the service station and parked between two lorries at around 4am and bedded down in the caravan - only to wake up several hours later to find the door wide open and their possessions gone.

"Megan woke up at 7.50am and asked why the caravan door was open," said Mrs Plews, 37. "My handbag was on the cooker but was gone and we found the car keys outside."

The caravan door lock had been forced with a screwdriver and around £1,000 worth of items taken, including tablets, a watch.

Although the family reached Disneyland, Mr Plews's health began to deteriorate and he was forced to seek medical help at a nearby hospital.

The 40-year-old spent five days being treated for a number of symptoms including a rash and blisters on his leg.