An elderly disabled man from Essex suffered the heartbreak of seeing his much-loved caravan go up in flames over the weekend, in an act that destroyed many of his cherished possessions.
Colchester resident Roy Griffiths has enjoyed caravan holidays for much of his life and had spent many of the last few years refurbishing and fitting out the prized Abbey Monza tourer, which he first purchased some 17 years ago.
Yet in a callous act of criminality, an unknown assailant is believed to have set the vehicle on fire before leaving it to burn in the driveway of the pensioner’s home.
The serious nature of the blaze forced Mr Griffiths, who suffers from back problems and requires a chair to go up and down the stairs, to head outside and drag the burning wreck away from his property, in an attempt to stop the spread of the fire.
Speaking to the BBC, Jon Dale of the Camping and Caravanning Club praised the efforts of the tourer owner in lifting the caravan, which weighs some 1,500 kg.
“It’s incredible that anyone, let alone a gentleman in his condition, was able to pull a caravan on their own,” he told the news provider.
Police officials are now calling for assistance in their search for the person behind the fire.
