Latest news with #AlpinePerformance
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brit couple stranded abroad after dream holiday turns into nightmare in seconds
A summer getaway to Bilbao for Scottish couple Anna Higginbottom and her boyfriend Peter Lesisz quickly turned into a hellish escape after thieves targeted their car overnight A British couple's Spanish getaway turned into a living nightmare after heartless thieves raided £60,000 worth of stuff from their car, leaving them stranded, penniless and devastated. Anna Higginbottom, 27, and her partner Peter Lesisz, 26, had been enjoying a summer escape to Bilbao in Spain, and were just hours away from catching a ferry back to the UK when disaster struck. After spending the night in a local hostel on Monday, July 7, the couple were assured their vehicle was safe in a CCTV -monitored car park. But by morning, their world was turned upside down. Their car had been completely ransacked, with every last valuable stripped away in what they describe as a 'surgical' robbery. Anna, a holistic wellness coach, explained: 'We've been left with nothing but our phones and each other. It's just a disaster. We're devastated.' Peter, who runs a performance car tuning business, Alpine Performance, was dealt the hardest blow, with around £55,000 worth of specialist equipment, including pen drives containing years of irreplaceable custom engine software, was stolen in the blink of an eye. Anna added: 'That equipment is his business. He's worked for years building it all up. He's one of the best in the UK, and now it's gone.' Anna estimates that around £5,000 worth of jewellery and clothing, which included treasured heirlooms belonging to her late mother, were also taken in the burglary, MEN reports. Speaking about the pain of losing the items, she said: 'The sentimental stuff hurts most. That's what's killing me. Those memories are gone. You can't put a price on them.' To add insult to injury, Peter's passport was also taken, scuppering their plans to return home and forcing him to make a gruelling 10-hour trip to Madrid just to get emergency documents, with borrowed money. With no money, nowhere to go, and no help from local authorities, the couple were forced to turn to Spanish social services for emergency shelter and food. Anna slammed the local police response, claiming they've had to launch their own investigation due to a language barrier and lack of support. She added: 'The police haven't helped us. There's such a language barrier. "We've had to do our own investigation. One of my cards was used locally, and we even found the shop. They told us that it was a Moroccan man. We're terrified that the longer this goes on, the less chance we have of seeing our stuff again." Desperate and scared, the pair have even ventured into dangerous neighbourhoods in a frantic bid to recover their stolen belongings. Anna continued: 'Locals warned us we could be stabbed if we went into some of these places. But what else can we do? "We're scared. We're out of options. We have done everything we can, but we don't want to put our lives at risk doing our own investigation." With hope fading fast, Anna and Peter have now launched a GoFundMe page to try and piece their lives back together and are pleading for public support. She wrote: 'We never thought we'd be in this situation. Even £5 would mean the world.' If you'd like to help Anna and Peter, you can donate to their GoFundMe here.
Irish Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dream holiday turns into nightmare in seconds as couple left stranded in Spain
A young couple's dream Spanish holiday turned into a nightmare after thieves targeted their car in a ruthless robbery that cost them in the region of €69,000. Anna Higginbottom, 27, and her partner Peter Lesisz, 26, were left stranded in Spain when their vehicle was ransacked in Bilbao just as they were preparing to return to Scotland via ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth. The couple had spent the night at a hostel in Bilbao on Monday (July 7), and say they were told the car park was secure and monitored by CCTV, reports The Manchester Evening News. But, to their horror, they discovered the next morning that their car had been broken into and emptied by thieves. "We've been left with only our phones and each other," Anna, a holistic wellness coach, said. "It's a disaster. We have nothing left. We're just completely devastated." Peter, who runs Alpine Performance, lost approximately £55,000 (approximately €63,500) worth of specialist car tuning equipment, crucial for his business, including pen drives containing years of custom engine software files. "Peter's worked years to build this business," Anna shared. "That equipment isn't just expensive - it's his entire livelihood. He's one of the best in the UK at what he does. "He has not stopped crying. I've never seen him like this. It's heartbreaking." Anna also suffered significant losses, with around £5,000 (approximately €6,000) worth of jewellery, clothing, and irreplaceable items from her late mother taken in the heist. She said: "That's what hurts most. The sentimental things - they're just gone. They can't be replaced." The theft also included Peter's passport, resulting in the couple missing their scheduled ferry. Now, Peter faces a 10-hour return journey to Madrid to secure a temporary passport after being lent cash by relatives. In the meantime, the duo have had to turn to Spanish social services for emergency accommodation and supplies. Anna added: "The police haven't helped us. There's such a language barrier. We've had to do our own investigation. One of my cards was used locally, and we even found the shop. They told us that it was a Moroccan man. "We're terrified that the longer this goes on, the less chance we have of seeing our stuff again." The couple say they have even ventured into known dangerous neighbourhoods to track down the thieves themselves. "Locals warned us we could be stabbed or attacked if we went looking in these areas, so we're scared and out of options," Anna continued. "We have done everything we can, but we don't want to put our lives at risk doing our own investigation." Taking to social media in a plea for help, the couple started a GoFundMe page, hoping to recoup some of their losses. Anna penned on the fundraising site: "We never thought we'd be in this position. Even £5 would mean the world." For those who wish to help Peter and Anna, their GoFundMe page can be accessed here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Scottish couple 'stranded in Spain' as thieves steal passport and jewellery from car
A young Scottish couple have been left stranded in Spain after thieves ransacked their car containing a passport and jewellery. Anna Higginbottom, 27, and her partner Peter Lesisz, 26, have been left "heartbroken" following the devastating heist which they say has left them at least £60,000 out of pocket. The couple had been due to catch a ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth on Tuesday before making their way back to Scotland. Anna had been living and working in the town of Denia in Spain and while staying in a hostel in Bilbao on Monday night, they were targeted. READ MORE: Thousands of Edinburgh sun worshipers descend on popular beach during heatwave READ MORE: Scottish family's 'dream holiday' ruined after Loveholidays cancel hotel and leave them 'stranded' According to the couple, they were assured the hostel car park was secure. However, in the morning they discovered their passenger side window had been smashed and all their contents had been raided, reports the Record. They believe the ruthless thieves took around £60k worth of possessions, leaving them with nothing but their phones. "We've been left with only our phones and each other," said a distraught Anna. "It's a disaster. We have nothing left. We're just completely devastated." Peter also lost around £55,000 worth of rare, specialist car tuning equipment for his Alpine Performance business. This also included pen drives containing a database of custom engine software files built over eight years. "Peter's worked years to build this business," said holistic wellness coach Anna. "That equipment isn't just expensive - it's his entire livelihood. He's one of the best in the UK at what he does. "He has not stopped crying. I've never seen him like this. It's heartbreaking." Anna's losses, valued at around £5,000, included expensive jewellery, clothing, sentimental photos and items from her late mother. She said: "That's what hurts most. The sentimental things - they're just gone. They can't be replaced." To make matters worse, Peter's passport was also stolen, meaning the couple missed their ferry. Peter must now travel a 10-hour round trip to Madrid to get a temporary passport using money borrowed from family. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. The couple have even had to rely on the Spanish social services for emergency accommodation and food. Anna continued: "The police haven't helped us. There's such a language barrier. We've had to do our own investigation. One of my cards was used locally, and we even found the shop. They told us that it was a Moroccan man. "We're terrified that the longer this goes on, the less chance we have of seeing our stuff again." The pair have been left so desperate they've even considered searching dangerous neighbourhoods themselves. She added: "Locals warned us we could be stabbed or attacked if we went looking in these areas, so we're scared and out of options. We have done everything we can, but we don't want to put our lives at risk doing our own investigation." In a final effort to rebuild, the couple have launched a GoFundMe to try and recover some of the staggering loss. In a post online, Anna wrote: "We never thought we'd be in this position Even £5 would mean the world." If you'd like to support Peter and Anna, you can visit their GoFundMe, here.
Edinburgh Live
12-07-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Scottish couple 'stranded in Spain' as thieves steal passport and jewellery from car
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A young Scottish couple have been left stranded in Spain after thieves ransacked their car containing a passport and jewellery. Anna Higginbottom, 27, and her partner Peter Lesisz, 26, have been left "heartbroken" following the devastating heist which they say has left them at least £60,000 out of pocket. The couple had been due to catch a ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth on Tuesday before making their way back to Scotland. Anna had been living and working in the town of Denia in Spain and while staying in a hostel in Bilbao on Monday night, they were targeted. According to the couple, they were assured the hostel car park was secure. However, in the morning they discovered their passenger side window had been smashed and all their contents had been raided, reports the Record. They believe the ruthless thieves took around £60k worth of possessions, leaving them with nothing but their phones. "We've been left with only our phones and each other," said a distraught Anna. "It's a disaster. We have nothing left. We're just completely devastated." Peter also lost around £55,000 worth of rare, specialist car tuning equipment for his Alpine Performance business. This also included pen drives containing a database of custom engine software files built over eight years. (Image: Daily Record) "Peter's worked years to build this business," said holistic wellness coach Anna. "That equipment isn't just expensive - it's his entire livelihood. He's one of the best in the UK at what he does. "He has not stopped crying. I've never seen him like this. It's heartbreaking." Anna's losses, valued at around £5,000, included expensive jewellery, clothing, sentimental photos and items from her late mother. She said: "That's what hurts most. The sentimental things - they're just gone. They can't be replaced." To make matters worse, Peter's passport was also stolen, meaning the couple missed their ferry. Peter must now travel a 10-hour round trip to Madrid to get a temporary passport using money borrowed from family. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. The couple have even had to rely on the Spanish social services for emergency accommodation and food. Anna continued: "The police haven't helped us. There's such a language barrier. We've had to do our own investigation. One of my cards was used locally, and we even found the shop. They told us that it was a Moroccan man. "We're terrified that the longer this goes on, the less chance we have of seeing our stuff again." The pair have been left so desperate they've even considered searching dangerous neighbourhoods themselves. She added: "Locals warned us we could be stabbed or attacked if we went looking in these areas, so we're scared and out of options. We have done everything we can, but we don't want to put our lives at risk doing our own investigation." In a final effort to rebuild, the couple have launched a GoFundMe to try and recover some of the staggering loss. In a post online, Anna wrote: "We never thought we'd be in this position Even £5 would mean the world." If you'd like to support Peter and Anna, you can visit their GoFundMe, here.
Daily Record
12-07-2025
- Daily Record
Young couple stranded in Spain after crooks rob passport and jewellery in £60k car heist
Anna Higginbottom and Peter Lesisz were robbed of around £60,000 as they prepared to return home to Scotland. A young Scots couple have been left stranded and in Spain after ruthless thieves ransacked their car in a devastating £60,000 heist. 'Heartbroken' Anna Higginbottom, 27, and her partner Peter Lesisz, 26, had been due to catch a ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth on Tuesday as they made their way back to Scotland from the Spanish town of Denia - where Anna had been living and working. The pair stayed in a hostel in Bilbao on Monday night, reassured by staff that the car park had CCTV and was secure. However, by morning, their vehicle had been broken into via the passenger door and had been completely cleaned out by crooks. 'We've been left with only our phones and each other,' said a distraught Anna. 'It's a disaster. We have nothing left. We're just completely devastated.' The couple estimate the total loss at around £60,000, with Peter losing around £55,000 worth of rare, specialist car tuning equipment for his Alpine Performance business. This also included pen drives containing a database of custom engine software files built over eight years. 'Peter's worked years to build this business,' said holistic wellness coach Anna. 'That equipment isn't just expensive - it's his entire livelihood. He's one of the best in the UK at what he does. "He has not stopped crying. I've never seen him like this. It's heartbreaking." Anna's losses, valued at around £5,000, included expensive jewellery, clothing, sentimental photos and items from her late mother. She said: 'That's what hurts most. The sentimental things - they're just gone. They can't be replaced.' To make matters worse, Peter's passport was also stolen, meaning the couple missed their ferry. Peter must now travel a 10-hour round trip to Madrid to get a temporary passport using money borrowed from family. The couple have even had to rely on the Spanish social services for emergency accommodation and food. Anna continued: 'The police haven't helped us. There's such a language barrier. We've had to do our own investigation. One of my cards was used locally, and we even found the shop. They told us that it was a Moroccan man. "We're terrified that the longer this goes on, the less chance we have of seeing our stuff again.' The pair have been left so desperate they've even considered searching dangerous neighbourhoods themselves. She added: 'Locals warned us we could be stabbed or attacked if we went looking in these areas, so we're scared and out of options. "We have done everything we can, but we don't want to put our lives at risk doing our own investigation." In a final effort to rebuild, the couple have launched a GoFundMe to try and recover some of the staggering loss. In a post online, Anna wrote: 'We never thought we'd be in this position Even £5 would mean the world.' If you'd like to support Peter and Anna, you can visit their GoFundMe, here - Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
