'Swine flu' girl held on holiday

Millie spent five days in hospital and was given Tamiflu

A Kent couple said their holiday was ruined after they landed in Egypt where their daughter was immediately sent to hospital with suspected swine flu.

Millie Powell, 11, from Strood, was stopped at Sharm El Sheikh airport when she was found to have a temperature.

She spent five days in hospital despite her parents saying she only had a cold.

They claim First Choice should have warned them of the policy in Egypt. The firm said it advises people to check the Foreign Office website.

A thermal imaging camera detected Millie's temperature to be 38.5C.

Measures put in place by Egyptian authorities mean travellers with a temperature over 38C are quarantined.

Appalling conditions

Millie's parents said she was held by armed guards, taken to hospital and given Tamiflu without their consent.

Her mother Jacqui said: "We were put in a disused section of the hospital which was appalling.

"I was more concerned she would catch something else in those conditions than actually just have the cold that she had.

"If First Choice had informed us before we went I could have given Millie paracetamol, she would have gone straight through without a temperature and it wouldn't have ruined our holiday."

In a statement, First Choice said it had no control over the measures adopted in Egypt to prevent the spread of swine flu.

It added: "We advise all customers to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for the latest travel advice prior to departure."