EMIDLANDS Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 I have just returned from the caravan holiday from hell in the Lake District. My mother, husband, two children and I were booked in a very family-friendly campsite at Ullswater from Monday to Friday last week. We were having a fabulous time - until 2.30am of Wednesday morning. We were all in the caravan asleep, apart from my 14 year old daughter who was zipped up in a tent in the awning outside the caravan door. My mother was awoken by a noise and looked out of the caravan window - and to her horror saw a young man aged between 19 and 22 kneeling at the door of the tent, his body inside, with his pants and trousers pulled down. She screamed and banged on the wall, which immediately scared him away and he ran out of the back of the awning. The screaming woke the rest of us up and we grabbed our 14 year old and pulled her in the caravan, and immeditely dialled 999. The police sent sniffer dogs and foresic officers but the intruder had escaped. We are convinced that this person was about to rape my daughter, he had crawled past our cases and bags and hadn't touched them. After the police left we came home straight away. We are now all terrified and my daughter is completely traumatised. We will never go caravanning again, let alone visit the Lakes. There was no security on the camp and we couldn't even get hold of the owners until 9am. So please - pass this message onto as many campers as you can to warn them of the dangers of leaving your kids outside. I appreciate it is a rare thing what we experienced, but we never thought anything like this could happen to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 We are all sorry to hear of your incident, perhaps in the fullness of time the traumatic experience will dull for you all. My wife and I have brought up four children and caravaned for over forty years, we have lost children on sites and had all the site looking for them, only to find him in a big hole he had dug out of the sand behind the caravan! Even at home we have had another disappear to find him two miles away. How can you wrap your children up so they are always safe - you can't although you want to. Incidently - I got so ratty with him that now at forty odd - he won't leave home :'( Caravanning and camping of all sorts, adds to everyones experience especially youngsters, in the main they enjoy the freedom they perceive, but it is at some personal risk and always will be. We use to go on rallies with the caravan club and they seem really safe compared with a public sites, perhaps in time you could try again with the club on private rally sites. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 A dreadful experience but we would all hate you to miss out on the fun of camping so maybe CC and CCC 'members only' sites where 'the great unwashed' are excluded might be worthy of consideration? They are more expensive - but what price peace of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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