Jenson Button: 'Holiday Theft Was Horrible'

The racing driver and his model wife Jessica Michibata were targeted by burglars while on vacation in Saint-Tropez, France in early August (15) and Michibata's $320,000 (£250,000) engagement ring was among items stolen.

Reports suggested the thieves may have pumped gas into the villa to render the occupants unconscious during the raid, but Button insists he has no idea whether the theory is true, saying, "It was a horrible situation. It's really not a nice feeling knowing someone was in your room going through your drawers eight centimetres from your wife's head. That's the horrible bit, really. You can replace the money and jewellery, you obviously have the sentimental value of an engagement ring, but it is all replaceable whereas our health isn't... When something like that happens, you are obviously going to be more cautious... It is sad you have to worry but we have taken certain measures so that we feel more secure.

"It was strange that nobody woke up and one of the officers we spoke to said that we might have been gassed... It does not matter either way to us. Someone burgled our house while we were in it. It does not matter whether we were gassed or not, we are all here, safe and well, and that is the most important thing, but it's amazing that we did not realise it was happening."