‘I was walked over while breastfeeding my child’

A woman who had her luggage stolen while breastfeeding her baby at Gatwick Airport says her experience has raised “serious concerns” about the safety and design of the site.

Kawtar Boudad Dupont, 31, was traveling with his two daughters, aged two and eight, on Thursday when a child changed in the southern terminal to feed one of his children.

He said the room was so small that he was forced to leave their luggage outside, but when he came out a few minutes later, their belongings were gone.

Gatwick Airport said it had contacted Sussex Police and was supporting its investigation into the incident.

It is said that the children’s rooms at the airport “are designed to meet the needs of all passengers, with enough space for those traveling with luggage trolleys.”

Ms Dupont, from France, said the thief meant to lose a memory card containing 10 years of “unattainable photos that should apply for a university degree.

“I felt everything in my life in that suitcase,” she told the BBC, revealing that she cried when she described her missing possessions.

“[It] It’s devastating, emotionally and practically,” he said.

Ms Dupont added that her eldest daughter’s pink UNICNOT, full of her “favorite toys”, was also taken.

“Who does that?,” he asked.

Ms Dupont said she came to London for a short holiday because she had heard “good things” about the city and wanted to “let her down” but was disappointed.

He said: “[How can] A safe space for mothers and children is poorly designed that puts these travelers in impossible situations – forced to choose between their security and the care of their child. “

Ms Dupont said she reported the thief to Sussex police, although she admitted they could not identify the offender from the footage.

“If the police cannot identify the suspects with CCTV, then what is the role of all the cameras at the airport,” he said.

Sussex police have released a photo of a man they want to speak to after the incident, which happened in Zone A between 15:00 and 18:00 GMT on Thursday.

He was wearing a different bucket hat, an orange dress over a black hooded top, gray tracksuit underneath trainers, according to officials.

The man left the area via the south road south towards the forecourt, ring road, and the B2036 Balcombe Road, the force added.

The mother-of-two said she had lodged a formal complaint with Gatwick Airport, but their response so far did not address the “serious issues raised in this situation”.

He urged people to “keep an eye” on their bags while at the site and avoid packing “valuable” items.

“There is a huge security issue at Gatwick Airport,” Ms Dupont said.

“We travelers need to feel safe”.