I answered the phone on Christmas Day and my world fell apart

I smiled as I watched my three grandchildren excitedly open their presents from Santa.

It was just before 11am on Christmas Day in 1997 and I was at the house of my son, Michael – then the phone rang. Picking it up, my son’s face dropped and all the colour drained from it.

‘It’s Dad,’ he turned and said to me, before passing over the phone.

Then came the words I’ll never forget...