F1 driver Jenson Button and wife ‘gassed’ in £300,000 holiday villa burglary

Formula One driver Jenson Button and his wife, Jessica Michibata have been gassed and robbed at their rented holiday villa in the south of France, while thieves got away with items worth over £300,000 on Monday, reports The Sun.

The couple, who were left unharmed, were said to be sleeping at the time and 'unconscious' in their St Tropez home, while Jessica's £250,000 engagement ring was also stolen.

It is believed by French authorities that, the two criminals were highly experienced and used anaesthetic gas, which they pumped through the air conditioning vents of the property.

TOP NEWS

"Two men broke into the property whilst they all slept and stole a number of items of jewellery including, most upsettingly, Jessica's engagement ring," a spokesman for the McLaren driver said.

"The police have indicated that this has become a growing problem in the region with perpetrators going so far as to gas their proposed victims through the air conditioning units before breaking in."

Three of the couple's friends, who were staying at the home, were also left 'unconscious'.

Jenson, who has a fortune of £71 million, his wife and their friends only discovered they had been burgled the next morning, while the property was left ransacked and Jessica's engagement ring missing.

A source told the newspaper: "Police have told Jenson they’re convinced the burglars gassed the house using the air conditioning units.

"Over the past five years, it’s becoming an increasingly common way for top criminals to launch raids on expensive properties in the area without being disturbed.

"Jenson is convinced that’s what happened too. The burglars were in the same room as him and Jessica, rifling through all their drawers. ‘But they weren’t disturbed at all because the effects of the gas gives the burglars free reign.

"It was the same for their three other friends — they were all completely out of it."

Police are reviewing CCTV, while the group are said to have left St Tropez hours after the tragic incident.

Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards relationship in pictures