Man charged after balcony plunge

Miss Maskell fell from a second floor apartment at Stelios Stalis

A British man has been charged with attempted murder after his pregnant girlfriend fell from a balcony in a Greek holiday resort.

Sarah Maskell, 34, from High Wycombe, Bucks, fell 21ft from an apartment in Malia, Crete, early on Tuesday and was impaled on a railing spike.

Miss Maskell suffered punctured lungs, and doctors were unable to save her unborn child.

Michael Edwards, 40, from High Wycombe, is due before a Greek magistrate.

Critical condition

Miss Maskell was cut free by firefighters before being taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Heraklion.

The spikes punctured both lungs but just missed her heart. Doctors performed what they called a successful five-hour operation.

According to George Harisis, the hospital's medical director, the patient remains in a critical condition but he is hopeful she will survive.

A Greek police officer said Mr Edwards was in police custody and was appearing before the courts on Wednesday.

He said Mr Edwards' five-year-old son was staying with the couple at the Stelios Stalis apartments.

"The young boy stayed in the hotel and there is now a woman from the tourist office looking after him," he said.