British Bobbit: 'I will soon be back in full working order'

But his fiancee has insisted today that he was not attacked but that he may have cut himself on razor-sharp coral.

Ellie Rotherey, 21, found her fiancee Alan "Chad" Reed, 43, covered in blood and semi-conscious on the bed when she returned to their hotel room after they became separated on a night out in the Dominican Republic.

Today, her mother Louise Rotherey said she "fell about the bed laughing" when she heard the incident was being characterised as "another Bobbit".

Ellie told her mother that mystery surrounded the incident, but denied Chad was attacked in his hotel room and suffered the injury as a result of a knife wound.

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Mrs Rothery, 45, a housewife of Clifton, Bristol, claimed Chad had cut his privates in a mystery accident - possibly on razor-sharp coral.

She said: "They are still not sure what happened.

"He thinks he may have hurt himself while swimming, as the coral reefs there can be razor sharp. But it's still a mystery.

"Ellie came back and found him lying in the hotel room in a pool of blood. He can't recall what happened at all. She was terrified.

"I told Ellie people thought she had attacked him and cut his manhood off, like the Bobbit case.

"But she just fell about laughing. She said she had never heard anything more ridiculous.

"The injury was just a few gashes, not an amputation. Ellie has told me Chad is OK. They have been told he will be back in full working order soon.

"Chad and Ellie are hoping to come back on Monday or Tuesday when he is a bit better.

"He likes diving and rock climbing. Chad is very adventurous and sporty, more so than Ellie.

"I've spoken to her in hospital and I can tell from her voice that it's all going to be all right."

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Last night, as Mr Reed recovered in hospital, police in the Dominican Republic said they had made several arrests over the incident.

While the circumstances are very different, the case has echoes of the 1993 story of American John Bobbitt, whose wife cut off his penis and threw it away.

Mr Reed said from his hospital bed in Puerto Plata: "I have a lot of stitches and I'm still in a lot of pain, but it could be worse.

"The doctors have sewn me up and have told me there'll be no long-term damage.

"I've told the police what I can, but to be honest it's not a lot. The whole thing is just one big blank."

The 33-year-old plumber from Paddington, West London, whose friends call him Chad, and 21-year-old Miss Rothery, were staying near the resort of Cabarete on a holiday to celebrate their engagement.

They went out with a friend for dinner in the resort on Sunday night.

Miss Rothery, who graduated in physics from Warwick University last year and has since been working as a charity volunteer, said that after the meal, she accompanied the friend to a taxi rank. When she returned, Mr Reed had disappeared.

After searching the town and beach, she headed back to the hotel.

"He was sprawled out on the bed in just a pair of shorts that were covered in blood when I walked in," she said.

"I alerted hotel reception immediately and they phoned for an ambulance as soon as they came to the room and saw the state Chad was in.

"He was operated on in the clinic and told he'll be in until at least Friday.

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"He lost a lot of blood. He doesn't appear to have had anything stolen, so it's all pretty baffling.

"But at the moment I'm not asking him or myself too many questions. I'm just relieved he's still alive."

Police chief Robert Contreras said: "We are investigating this as an assault, but it's a very strange one.

"All those we've arrested so far are locals but we're a long way from finding out what really happened."

Police denied local Press reports that the attack was driven by "passionate motives" and that it happened in Mr Reed's hotel room.

Mr Contreras said: "We believe this happened at an isolated spot on the beach between the resort and the victim's hotel which is about three miles away.

"The problem is he hasn't been able to tell us anything, because he says he can't remember anything.

"We believe he had been drinking heavily and that may have been a factor in his failure to remember."

Mr Reed said: "I wasn't drunk, but may have suffered amnesia because of the shock of what's happened.

"The doctors have said that because there are scratches on my back as well, my injuries could be consistent with a fall on rocks."

In the Bobbitt case, Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband's penis while he slept, claiming he tried to rape her after coming home drunk.

She was acquitted of malicious wounding, but spent time in a mental hospital after pleading insanity.

The penis was recovered and reattached in a ten-hour operation.