A family from Greater Manchester has been left wondering whether they should make a van insurance claim following a night-time raid on the father's van that resulted in the theft of £500 worth of Christmas presents.
The presents had only been left in the transit van for one night so as to ensure the children would not take a peek at their presents but, cruelly, it so happens that it was the night they were "targeted", with thieves cutting through the commercial vehicle's central locking system.
The mother of the family explains, "It wasn't just us that were targeted, next door's one was parked next to it," she said.
"I think there's been a spate of them. We can only fit one vehicle outside the house, and [my husband] always parks there. He can probably claim on the van insurance, but it's probably not worth it in the long run. [He'd] only had the van about six months. We'd bought things for the kids, but also for my parents and my partner's dad and his girlfriend and other people in the family."
However, there will be no question of asking the relevant van insurance company to cover the loss of one present; the couple's son is going to receive a bicycle, which the thieves were unable to make off with as it was in the van but "strapped to the inside".