F1's Jenson Button and wife burgled on holiday in France

Two men broke in on Monday and stole items of jewellery including model Jessica's engagement ring, a spokesman for the former F1 champion said.

The couple, who married in January, were with friends in a rented villa in Saint-Tropez and may have been gassed by the raiders as they slept, he added.

He said they were unharmed but everyone "is unsurprisingly shaken".

The Sun newspaper reported that valuables worth £300,000 were stolen.

(BBC) Button's spokesman said: "Two men broke into the property whilst they all slept and stole a number of items of jewellery including, most upsettingly, Jessica's engagement ring.

"The police have indicated that this has become a growing problem in the region with perpetrators going so far as to gas their proposed victims through the air conditioning units before breaking in."

Button, 35, who drives for team McLaren, is based in Monaco, about 80 miles (130km) along the coast from Saint-Tropez. He won the F1 championship in 2009 driving for Brawn GP and finished in eighth place in 2014.