Callum has to wait for compensation

THE family of a severely disabled boy are still waiting to hear whether they will receive compensation from a collapsed tour operator, which left their holiday dreams in tatters.

The collapse of tour operator XL Leisure Group last September left six-year-old Callum Knights and his family stranded at Gatwick airport.

But fortunately, a mystery benefactor, who heard about the family's plight on the radio, stepped in and offered to pay more than �6,000 for the Lowestoft family to travel to Florida where Callum, who has cerebral palsy and is profoundly deaf, swam with dolphins.

'A truly magical holiday' was how Callum's mum Beverley Spencer described her son's chance of a lifetime swim after the family returned home.

But four months on the family is still waiting to hear about the claim for compensation.

Mrs Spencer, her husband Jason and Callum's grandparents had spent more than a year saving up for the holiday.

Mrs Spencer said yesterday: 'We have put the claim in and we got a confirmation letter to say they had received the documents back in November.

'Now we are just waiting to hear from them. It is a little bit frustrating and we are really careful now. Everywhere we go if we order something we think is our money safe?'

The family was devastated after the trip was cancelled on September 12, but luckily just hours after a miserable drive home a woman known only as Jenny from Halesworth, who had heard the disappointed family talking on the radio, paid more than �6,000 for them to travel to America.

Mrs Spencer said the trip was worth 'everything' because Callum had such a good holiday.

Speaking about his current progress, she said: 'We take things day by day as Callum has good days and bad days.'

Mrs Spencer added: 'We have not found out the identity of the lady who paid for the holiday, but she texted my mum when we got back to say she had seen it on the news and she was glad we had a good holiday. We are so grateful.'