Joe Holt is thirteen . When his mum and her scummy boyfriend Dean suddenly announce they ’ re going on holiday , Joe ’ s thrilled at the prospect of a break from trouble at school and tension at home ... Until it becomes clear that while his mum and Dean are heading off for Spain , Joe ’ s being left behind in their London flat .

Abandoned with only £ 20 and a fridge half-full of leftovers , Joe makes the most of this ‘ holiday at home ’ as he plays on the Xbox , stays up all night , and makes a surprise friend in a girl called Asha who also seems to be parentless for the week . He misses his mum but life is fairly pleasant ... Until Joe discovers a sealed bag lodged in the toilet with £ 20,000 inside it .

But that ’ s only the start of the trouble . When the week ’ s over , his mum and Dean don ’ t show up . Instead , unknown strangers are calling the flat and are following Joe , and his school teacher is starting to realise that Joe no longer has a clean school uniform , or food . As the forces of school , bullies , and Dean ’ s enemies start to close in , Joe and Asha realise they ’ ve got to get out of Peckham for good .

With £ 20,000 in a backpack and a fairy-tale destination in Cornwall scribbled on a piece of paper , they make their break for it , just as the whole house of cards comes crashing down around them .

4 x 30 ’ or 1 x 90 ’

Zodiak Kids Studios for CBBC