The 41-year-old builder was honoured by the Prime Minister at a special reception for flood heroes at Downing Street and commended by police after he jumped into Blackburn Brook in Chapeltown to save 14-year-old Josh Savage from being swept away.
He had climbed over walls and through bushes to scramble to reach Josh, who had hit his head and been engulfed by the rising floodwaters.

"What he did was typical of Craig. He was a wonderful man, the sort who would do anything for anybody," says his mother-in-law.

"He couldn't have realised how much his death would hurt everyone, or that Debbie would end up in this terrible situation.

"I think he was trying to protect her from the debt he was bringing to the door. but he just made things 10,000 times worse. If he was looking down I think he would be devastated by what has happened to her."

The January holiday on Africa's sun-soaked west coast - nicknamed the Smiley Coast because of the friendliness of its people - so nearly didn't happen.

Lesley Parkin had wanted to take her family back to Kenya, where she had spent an idyllic holiday 12 years ago.

"I loved it; it was a fabulous experience. I thought Bradlee would enjoy going on safari and that Craig and Debbie would have the time of their lives.

"I knew Craig was in debt, so I offered to pay for everyone out of my savings," says the 51-year-old, who is ex RAF.

"I felt Craig was a bit down because of his money worries and I wanted to treat them."

But two days before the excited family were due to fly out, the travel agent rang with bad news.

Kenya was experiencing a period of political unrest; their holiday had been cancelled.

"We were so disappointed; we'd had all our injections and forked out for malaria tablets and new clothes. The travel agent tried to get us in at all sorts of places around the world. But everything was full. Gambia came up at the very last minute."

It turned out to be a good choice, though, says Lesley. "Everyone had a lovely, relaxing time. We met some English couples there that we became friends with. And the locals were really lovely people, though we were warned that they try to befriend single women.

Indeed, female visitors to the Gambia are often advised to be wary of men locally known as "bumsters" who approach them wanting to get to know them or offering to be a tour guide. Travel websites warn that bumsters try to kindle romance or further contact in the hope of gaining money of a chance to leave Gambia.

Lesley now suspects that a Gambian tryinghis luck got her address from their hotel and sent that fateful letter to England via an unsuspecting holiday-maker.

"Debbie and Craig were very happy during those two weeks, holidaying hands, kissing and cuddling. After all those years of marriage, they were still very much in love.

They often asked to spend time on their own together while I looked after Bradley. and they were only separated twice - when Craig and Bradley went fishing and quad-biking.

On both of those occasions, she was sunbathing with me beside the pool.

Craig seemed absolutely fine on holiday. Even a phone call from one of his work friends, telling him they had been laid off by the building firm they worked for, didn't bring him down for long.

"I told him not to worry, that he could turn his hand to anything and was sure to find work when we got home."

At the inquest into Craig's death, Debbie told the coroner Mr Coutts-Wood she knew of a male Gambian in the hotel entertainment troop called Samba, but denied any involvement with him or any other Gambian while in the country or after her return home.

She said Craig had confronted her about the letter sent to her mother and that they had rowed about it, but added: "It meant nothing to me, nothing at all. He ripped it up and put it in the bin."

The coroner heard Craig had taken a photocopy of the letter but it was not known who had written Debbie's name on it. The court also heard Craig also been worried about £40,000 debts, a forthcoming county court appearance and the possibility of losing his job.

Giving his verdict that Craig took his own life, he said: "Mr Stenton believed that the letter was referring to his wife. Whether that is correct or not is not really an issue for me and there may be some doubt about that."

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