A DISTRAUGHT New Forest couple spent hours searching for their young son after their holiday caravan was destroyed in a blaze.

Andi and Louise McDonald endured an agonising wait for news of 11-year-old Alfie after returning to their French caravan site to discover it had been caught up in a forest fire.

Hours later the couple discovered that Alfie had been rescued by one of the other holidaymakers.

The Lymington couple were staying at the Pin de la Legue campsite in Frejus when they went to a nearby shop with their three other children, leaving Alfie watching television in the caravan.

They returned to find a charred wreck – and no sign of their son.

Andi said: “We asked ‘Where’s Alfie?’ and the people there didn’t know. There was a place where everyone evacuated had gone to but Alfie wasn’t there.

“It was horrific not knowing if he was OK or where he was. I can’t explain how frightening it was.”

Eventually the couple discovered that a French family staying on the site had rescued Alfie and were waiting to reunite the youngster with his parents.

Andi added: “The police found out that the neighbours had got him out and were going to bring him to us.

“When he got out of the car he was crying and we were crying. We all ran over to Alfie and gave him a massive hug.”