McCANN'S IN THE PUBLIC EYE

WITNESS STATEMENT FROM CLARE LOUISE FAWKES

OFFICIAL INQUIRY FILES and DOCUMENTS

CLAIRE LOUISE FAWKES HOLIDAY MAKER

FORMER 5A OCCUPANT 22 APRIL 2008

Witness statement of Claire Louise Fawkes (former Ocean Club holidaymaker) 2008.04.22)

Witness statement

FAWKES; Claire Louise

Occupation: Teacher

Date: 22 nd April 2008

Signature _________________________________________

I am the person referred to at the address above where I live with my husband S**** and daughter R*** aged 3½.

At Easter my family had two weeks holiday. I do not remember the exact date we travelled but I know it was a Saturday after Easter. We travelled to the OC, P da L in the Algarve in Portugal.

We had never stayed at a MW resort before but the facilities in relation to child care and sporting activities were attractive. We travelled from Gatwick to Faro and were transferred to the resort by MW reps. The holidays were booked as a complete package through MW.

Upon arrival we were allocated an apartment identified as G5 A or something similar. It was the corner apartment on the ground floor of a block of two or three storeys. Our apartment had two bedrooms and a patio with a door that opened onto the terrace opposite the swimming pool, restaurant and OC children's playing area. The other entrance led onto the parking area.

During the holidays we would occasionally place R*** in the crêche when we were doing other activities. On the Wednesday or Thursday of the second week of our holiday I received a phone call from a MW employee saying that R*** had fallen in the crêche and had cut her chin. When I arrived at the club she had almost stopped bleeding, but even so and through precaution we took her to a doctor in P da L, who put in some stitches. I do not remember if she bled again after this or whether she did in the apartment, but it is a possibility. However nobody else injured themselves or died during the holiday.

I was not robbed during the holiday and none of our possessions disappeared. I never detected the presence of anyone strange near the apartment. R*** slept in the bedroom whose window looked over the parking area. It had a window which I think we never opened and a metal shutter that covered the entire window on the outside, but which was controlled from the inside of the bedroom either electronically or by a belt that was pulled. It was nearly always closed, but on occasions we would open it to have more light. As far as I can remember the shutter worked perfectly well. We never had a bad experience with the windows or doors.

In order to enter and leave the apartment we would always use the front door that led onto the parking area given that the patio door could only be locked from the inside.

When you entered into the living room from the patio, there was a coffee table opposite with a sofa parallel to the kitchen. I do not remember whether the sofa was pushed against the wall. I think there was sufficient space to pass behind the sofa and the dining table.

I made a sketch which I showed as proof to CLF and which I delivered to DC Wright. We did not move any of the furniture in the apartment.

As I have already said we travelled to Portugal with our daughter R*** who slept in the back bedroom, opposite the pool area. I used to refer to her bedroom as the lilac room because the bedclothes and curtains were lilac.

We would generally walk to the MW restaurant at a distance of 5 or 10 minutes to have breakfast. We would normally have lunch in the apartment.

During the first week of the holidays we would return to the same restaurant for dinner. I can't remember what the restaurant was called. During the second week we would sometimes dine at the Tapas. My husband and I would have dinner out each night. While we were out we would hand Ruth over to the care of MW babysitters. The normal procedure was to dress her in pyjamas at about 19.00 and at 19.30 take her to the place near to the reception. Ruth would stay in the care of MW staff until they (children) were ready to sleep. If they were tired, there were beds available for the children to sleep in. We would collect R*** on out return to the apartment at about 21.30 - 22.00. This service was included in the holiday package and was available until 23.00.

We never left R*** on her own. When she was not with us she was in the organised care of someone who looked after the children.

On the Friday before our return home, my husband had gone to the beach leaving R*** and I in the apartment. The keys were also in the apartment but I couldn't find them, so I felt unable to take R*** to the crêche.

I was worried and went to the terrace to see if I could spot S****. It was at this moment that I saw three road sweepers in the immediate area. They all appeared to be staring in my direction and I felt they were observing me. I had wondered whether to leave the apartment open whilst I took R*** to the crêche but from the moment that I felt observed, this idea lost its appeal. They were all men and wearing overalls that reminded me of surgical outfits. I do not remember anymore about them.

I handed a CD to DC 4064 HOLLIDAY on 15h45 of 22nd April 2008 containing some pictures of our holidays at the MW resort. It was referenced as CLF2.