TV star Dickinson flees tsunami

David Dickinson and his wife fled before a 15m wave came in

Television presenter and antiques expert David Dickinson has spoken of his terror at being caught up in the Asian tsunami on holiday with his wife.

The star of Bargain Hunt, who lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire, was sunbathing on a beach on the Malaysian island of Langkawi when the waves struck.

He told BBC's North West Today that he and his wife Lorne were surrounded by water up to their waists.

They escaped to safety before a 15m wave hit the beach.

The couple were on sunbeds on an isolated part of the resort's beach.

Mr Dickinson said: "Suddenly from nowhere a small wave seemed to roll on - not a huge wave - almost a warning. It lapped around my feet.

Climbed tree

"I stood up and looked around the beach. Instead of thinking it was a warning for something more alarming, you tend to think there is a storm breaking.

"Then another wave came and that was a little bit more frightening - it came up to knee-level."

Mr Dickinson's wife climbed a nearby tree, as the waves reached waist-level, before the couple managed to run from the beach.

Mr Dickinson said: "That was real panic.

"No sooner had we gone into the opening when a huge wave came crashing in - about 15m high. "