A holidaymaker who was struck down by illness during a dream break abroad revealed he is still struggling to recover from his nightmare ordeal - nine months after flying home.

Timothy Atkins, 46, from Sheringham, jetted out to the Dominican Republic holiday resort with holiday booking firm Thomson in June last year.

He revealed he became so ill that he needed an IV drip which confined him to his hotel room for four days of his 14-day stay at the Catalonia Royal Bavaro hotel in Punta Cana.

Mr Atkins, who is an account manager and former chef, said: 'The illness really knocked me for six and after seeking advice I was admitted to a local hospital for two days and put on an IV drip. The hospital doctors also suggested I shouldn't get too much sun or even use the swimming pool or the sea.

'This essentially meant that all I could do was sit in my room most of the time. When you pay money for a luxury holiday you simply do not expect this to happen to you – it was awful.'

To make matters worse, Mr Atkins has continued to suffer symptoms following his return to the UK, and now he fears he might have IBS.

The father of two added: 'On top of the illness the air conditioning didn't work in our first room so I was moved and I was also woken up by noise from other guests one night too. It just wasn't what I hoped for and I want answers regarding what I have faced.

'I'm now going to be tested for IBS, as anything sugary or spicy seems to upset me, and I have subsequently started avoiding those kind of foods.'

With symptoms continuing to affect his daily life nearly nine months on from the holiday, Mr Atkins has now instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate his illness in an attempt to gain answers regarding what happened during the holiday.

The specialist lawyers are also representing several people affected by problems at Catalonia Royal Bavaro in November 2015.

Amandeep Samra, a legal expert at the law firm, said: 'Our client's case is another terrible example of the huge impact that gastric illness can have on people, often leaving them with ongoing symptoms which can affect them for a significant amount of time.'

A spokesperson for Thomson said: 'We're sorry to hear of Mr Atkins' experience on his holiday. As this matter is now subject to legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.'

'We'd like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all accommodations we feature in respect of health and safety.'