The body of a British pensioner who died on holiday remains stuck in Benidorm after the hospital he was being treated in "lost his wallet and phone".
John Ballance, 86, suffered a heart attack in the Spanish town one day into his holiday on August 8.
He had been enjoying a trip away with wife Sheila, 65, who was placed on an emergency flight back to the UK that evening.
However, John sadly died two days after the heart attack and 10 days before their fourth wedding anniversary, Cheshire Live reports.
But his widow said that John's wallet and phone were lost at the Spanish hospital that treated him, with his wallet full of important documents and Sheila's bank card.
The family are now trying desperately to get John's remains home and back to Cheshire, where they live.
"His wallet has gone, his phone has gone," said Sheila.
"We’re finding it hard at the minute, we’re speaking to the British consulate, trying to get his death certificate sent over and stuff like that so we can access his funeral plan.
"The funeral plan will cover him being cremated over there, but obviously bringing him home and stuff is a little different."
Sheila has been told that the cost of bringing John's ashes home will be around £4,500. The family is unsure as to whether he took out a travel insurance policy.
"If he did [take out travel insurance] we can’t find it," she added.
"It could be in his wallet or his possessions he had on him."
The family are now in a race against time to get John's remains home with the deadline for the hospital holding the body already passed.
"In Spain, they can only hold the body for so long because of the heat," Sheila said.
"He’s had his heart attack and died in the place that he loved the most. He did live in Spain for a while.
"John did everything for everyone. If you needed help, he was there. Even at 86."
The family plan to hold a wake in the Lord Eldon pub once John's ashes are home, with Sheila adding: "His favourite pub was the Eldon in Knutsford, where we went every Sunday.
"They’re helping as much as they can, they’ve been absolute stars."
A fundraiser has been set up in order to raise the money to have Mr Ballance's remains transported back to the UK. The fundraising page can be found here.
