To report to police?

[Noddynoodle]

I checked out of our holiday caravan but unfortunately left a bag behind. It was full of my daughter’s clothes, toiletries and shoes. The caravan park (Parkdean) called us one hour after check out to let us know it was there. It was the bank holiday weekend and so we were in standstill traffic and had limited time to get to our on the way home tourist attraction- Longleat- which is pretty expensive and we had bought tickets for. The caravan park said don’t worry, we will hold the bag safe in lost propertyand you can arrange a courier to collect. We did just that but the bag arrived to us empty apart from used toothbrushes and underwear. Everything else was taken. I have contacted the park with no response. I can’t claim on my travel insurance as I “left the bag unattended” in a locked caravan. The park won’t return my calls or respond to emails.

I’m financially impacted massively as I now have to replace all my daughter’s clothes,
a lot was bought new with my daughters birthday money and money from grandparents. I sadly had to send her to school in the pouring rain at the start of term with no coat as I have no money to buy a new coat until payday because the one I recently bought was in that bag.

I know it was my fault that was it was left behind but if they said they couldn’t return it I would have gone back to get and given up on the day out at Longleat

Any advice if I can do anything?

shiuld I report to police?
are the caravan park responsible as they didn’t safely store the items the told me I was missing?

any help is greatly appreciated

I can't see the police being interested really.

They wouldn't know if staff took it or the courier and they really don't have the recourses to investigate this sort of thing.

Unfortunately I'd just buy your child a secondhand coat (or ask on your local FB free pages) and keep trying to contact PD.

If the specific Parkdean resort has a Facebook page you could try posting on there for effect, I don’t know, something alomg the lines of “if anyone has seen the missing items in resort please can you let me know before I submit a police report” or something. If staff have taken the contents, the contents might suddenly reappear.

Could you get an interim childs coat from a charity shop to cover the next couple of weeks if needed.

So you went on holiday and paid for an expensive day out but can't afford a new coat for your child? Sorry the police won't be interested in this

If you left the bag in a locked caravan I can’t see that the insurers would consider this unattended. Usually unattended means you’ve left it somewhere on show/unlocked. Have you actually asked them?

Personally if it was left in a locked caravan and presumably found by cleaning/changeover? I would be complaining to Parkdean as one or more of their staff has obviously taken it. I would also pursue it with the insurers, and if they say it’s not covered I’d complain, arguing that that bag was left in a locked caravan to which only you and parkdean staff have access, which is exactly the same scenario as when you are staying there, when I am sure the theft of the bag from accommodation would be covered. I’d take that to the ombudsman for a view if the insurers rejected my complaint.

I don’t think the police base their a judgement on “what they are interested in” on whether the victim of a crime takes days out, can afford a coat, and/or manages their money how the police (or you) think they should!

The police are unlikely to investigate this but I would still lodge it to support your insurance claim. As a pp said I’d also let parkdean know I was doing so.

They won't care about a kids missing clothes go ahead and report and be laughed at

And it was me asking how someone can afford a holiday but not a new coat for their child.

A coat was in the bag with lots of other new clothes? Sorry I don't buy it and doubt insurers will either.

Unfortunately I doubt Parkdean will do anything. I’ve seen a fair few posts on their Facebook page where it’s clear guests property has been stolen and must be their staff who have done so.

What does her holiday and expensive day out have to do with whether or not the police would be interested?

Report it to the police OP and the resort managers. Someone there is stealing. Also you need evidence you have told the police before you can tell the insurance. You say they will not cover it. Have you tried?

I think this is good advice OP.

And make sure you report it to the police.

They saved up for a holiday and had meanwhile bought their child clothes including a coat.

They had gone on holiday which used their money not knowing they were about to be robbed.

People do buy new clothes for holidays and take a coat with them in the U.K. in case they need it.