Holiday Briton dies after 'salmonella outbreak' strikes four-star Lake Garda hotel

Geoffrey Appleyard, 71, who was on holiday with his 74-year-old wife Jean, began complaining of stomach pains a few hours after having dinner at their four-star hotel.

Paramedics were called and treated Mr Appleyard, but he died in his room.

The Grand Hotel at Gardone Riviera Lake Garda Italy, where tourist Geoffrey Appleyard died

A postmortem examination was being held last night to establish the cause of death.

Mr Appleyard and his wife were staying at the Grand Hotel Gardone on Lake Garda, near Brescia in northern Italy, when he became ill on Saturday night.

Within hours, 30 other British guests also complained of feeling ill.

Paramedics and a fleet of ambulances were sent to the hotel to deal with those suffering severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

Many were taken to hospital for treatment and last night 16 Britons were still there. Ten guests of other nationalities have also been affected.

The hotel, which has not been shut down, had 300 guests, with Britons in the majority.

It was a favourite destination of Sir Winston Churchill, who would sit and paint the views of the lake.

Health officials spent yesterday taking samples from the kitchens which were sent away for analysis.

A Foreign Office spokesman in London said: 'We are investigating reports of a possible outbreak of salmonella at an hotel on Lake Garda.

'We believe there to be around 30 British nationals involved, with around 16 hospitalised in three different hospitals. We are providing consular assistance.'

One health official, who asked not to be named, said: 'We think it was some fish that guests had eaten, but we are still working on all theories.

'An autopsy has been ordered on the British man who died to see if there is a connection between the food poisoning and his death.'

The Appleyards, from Evesham, Worcestershire, had been due to fly back to the UK yesterday.

Last night, Mrs Appleyard said:  'He was fine right up until after dinner on the Saturday night.

'Then a few hours later he was complaining of feeling ill and he just got worse. The paramedics came but there was nothing they could do and he died in the room.

'He didn't have any history of illness. I have felt ill since the early hours of Sunday morning.

'We both had a seafood risotto and then my husband had fish and I had beef  - I just can't believe what's happened.'

Stephen Anderson, the British consul in Milan, said his staff would be
visiting the 16 sick Britons, who are from three tour groups.

None is thought to be in a serious condition.

'We have offered Mrs Appleyard assistance,' he said. 'It is too early to say if her husband's death is directly linked to the incident.'

Despite the scare, the hotel kitchen has remained open. Owner Franco Mizzaro said the hotel had a 'full 300 people occupancy'.

'Samples have been taken, but we remain open until we hear otherwise from the health authorities,' he said. 'Nothing like this has ever happened here before.'