A Sittingbourne man remains in hospital after a suspected case of Legionnaires' disease.

Peter Apps, of Forge Road, Milton Regis, collapsed at his home earlier this month.

It is thought the 74-year-old may have contracted the condition while on holiday in Bournemouth.

Mr Apps, a retired lorry driver, first started exhibiting flu-like symptoms five days after he returned home from the trip.

Two days later he collapsed and ended up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, where he was put into a medically-induced coma.

His brother Mike, of Homewood Avenue, Sittingbourne said the family feared the worst before Peter's condition stabilised and he was finally able to talk for the first time last week.

However, despite being moved to another ward, he was rushed back into ICU at around 2.30am on Saturday (October 31) suffering from breathing problems.

His wife and three daughters have been keeping vigil at his bedside.

Mike, 64, a site excellence manager at a food storage and distribution company, is himself responsible for testing for Legionnaires' as part of his job.

"I have heard about what it can do but never seen it before. It is horrific," he said.

Public Health England has been notified and environmental health officers from Bournemouth council have visited the hotel in Bournemouth where he stayed and have taken samples for analysis.

A Bournemouth council spokesman said samples were taken from the hotel last week but it might take up to two weeks for the results to be confirmed.

Coincidentally, a friend of Mr Apps who was on the same trip, Roger Parrish, also of Sittingbourne, collapsed while out with friends on Friday (October 30) night.

He was also taken to Medway Maritime Hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

His son, Richard, 43, said: "He's not doing too bad. He's in a critical ward but is chatting and sitting up.

"He doesn't have Legionnaires'. It was purely a coincidence."