TWO pensioners from Duloe are recovering from a winter break at Eastbourne which they have termed 'the holiday from hell'.

The five day holiday stretched to 17 days which incorporated a hospital admission for both 73-year-old Denis Cozens, and his wife Daphne, aged 69 - and two nights spent by Denis sleeping out underneath the pier because he had run out of money for accommodation.

The horror holiday, as he termed it, began on November 5 when the couple left for the Burlington Hotel in Eastbourne on a Wallace Arnold break. All went well until November 8, when Daphne was rushed into hospital, and put in intensive care because of a kidney infection.

She and Denis had taken out a year-long Wallace Arnold holiday insurance, so he said he was initially not worried about running up additional expenses because of her illness - and says he was assured all taxi fares etc would be dealt with for him. He added he was told the insurance they had taken out was in the hands of the company CEGA.

Denis was allowed to stay at the Burlington until November 12, and Wallace Arnold have pointed out that they went out of their way to help him, providing accommodation for five days after his holiday had finished, as well as funds. But when Denis was switched to another hotel his own health problems began. He forgot to stress he was asthmatic and allergic to feather pillows - and he said the feather pillow in his room, plus a draft from a gap in the window and lack of heating, led to him developing an asthma and angina attack, and being hospitalised for some days.

On his discharge he had to remain in the area as Daphne was still in hospital. He said he was given £50 to book into a third hotel, for one night. However, following this his money supply was exhausted by taxis and food etc, and he says he was told he would receive no further finance.

He therefore spent the nights of November 20 and 21 sleeping underneath the pier with his two suitcases. One he used as a pillow - and the other, including clothes and other items, was stolen while he slept. He and Daphne eventually were only able to travel home via hospital transport.

He explained: 'I effectively told them if they were unable to supply us with transport back to Cornwall then my wife would have to remain there, taking up one of their beds.'

Once back at Duloe both Denis and Daphne, who are both registered disabled, went to their doctor. Denis was told he had had pneumonia, while a hospital appointment was made for his wife. Daphne only grasped the full extent of what had happened this week. Denis had not wanted to worry her by telling her of his illness - so when he was in hospital and had visited her he had put on his 'outdoor' clothes, as if still at the hotel.

Since returning from Eastbourne Denis has also contacted Wallace Arnold, saying he was to take legal action. He said although at one time he was told not to worry financially, eventually he and his wife felt 'abandoned'. He said he has now been told they were not covered by insurance as Daphne had suffered from an infected kidney this July - the re-occurrence in Eastbourne stemming from the fact a stent to drain fluid had not been removed. However, he stressed she had been assured by a doctor it was fine for her to go on holiday.

A Wallace Arnold spokesman said under no circumstances was Mr Cozens ever abandoned. He added: 'Mr Cozens admits there was nothing wrong with his holiday. He stayed at the Burlington three additional nights at our expense, but since the hotel was fully booked in advance we subsequently arranged for him to stay at another hotel.'

He added that when Mr Cozens was released from hospital additional accommodation was arranged at another hotel and he was given £50 for living expenses. On the same day they contacted his daughter to tell her of the situation, and were told she was setting off to visit her mother in hospital. He added: 'We never heard from the family again.'