‘We were effectively abandoned’

Trevor Lakin, 70, from Bourne in Lincolnshire, lost his son Jeremy, 28, in the Sharm el Sheikh bombings of 2005. Thanks to his tireless campaigning, the Government set up the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation (VOTC) Scheme in 2012, which provides support for British citizens injured by terrorist attacks overseas.

“It happened on the Friday night and the first we heard about it was on the news on the Saturday morning. I couldn’t get through to Jeremy, so I rang the hotel and they said none of their guests had been affected.

“Trying to get through to the Foreign Office helpline was atrocious – it took about two and a half hours and then I was put on hold for 28 excruciating minutes.

“We booked flights to go out there on the Sunday and we arrived before the British police, who didn’t get there until the Monday night. The British coroner didn’t arrive until the Wednesday.

“Once we got back to

England, we were effectively abandoned. The advice was – see your GP. There was no financial assistance and in those days insurance didn’t cover acts of terror after 9/11. For us, the finances didn’t matter, but for others

it was causing hardship. Some couldn’t afford to pay for funerals. They were having to take statutory sick pay and couldn’t afford to pay their mortgages or the rent.

“A friend, Peter Fulham, who lost his son Matthew the day before his 18th birthday, was offered a bottle of wine over dinner by someone sent out there to counsel victims’ families. And then it ended up on his bill. He was in tears because he didn’t have the money to pay for it.

“Another family, a pair of brothers, flew out to identify their mother and sister, who had both been killed. It was only once they got there that they were told that neither of them were complete and there was nothing to identify. It was absolutely bloody disgusting.

“In 2006, Prince Charles hosted an event at Highgrove for the victims of the Sharm bombings and the Tube bombings, which happened a few weeks before. “Camilla’s father had died the night before, so she couldn’t make it, but it still went ahead. And he was brilliant – he took a lot of time to try to get around to speaking to everyone. We never heard from any politicians. “They say lessons have been learned, but they haven’t. With the Manchester Arena bombing, loads of money was raised but the government hated it because they weren’t in control of the money.”