A 76-year-old visitor claims she was turned away by Dartmouth doctors when she asked for medical help from a town centre GP practice.

Maureen Griffin was holidaying in Kingswear with her 87-year-old husband Terrence when she began experiencing eye pain following a recent cataract operation.

But, she claims, when she appealed for help from the Dartmouth Medical Practice she was told to go to Brixham instead.

Still in pain she went to a chemist for eye drops and was still suffering during the last two days of her holiday.

'I never got past the receptionist,' she said. 'All I wanted was a little bit of help. That's all.

'I was refused being allowed to see a doctor because I was not a resident and told to go to Brixham. It was such a flippant attitude.'

However, a spokesman for the GP practice said it had no record of Mrs Griffin's visit.

'All patients who turn up who are visitors to the area or not would normally have access to medical help if they ask for it,' he said. 'We cannot understand why this lady could not access that help and we are sorry if she felt badly treated.'

Mr and Mrs Griffin live near Cardiff in South Wales and are regular visitors to the Dartmouth area.

Last month they were staying for a week at an apartment in Kingswear when Mrs Griffin became ill.

'It was the third time that we had been to Dartmouth because we absolutely love the place,' she said.

I had had a cataract operation which was not doing really well. Every time I went out in the sunshine I couldn't see a thing and my eyes were really hurting so I thought I would have to see a doctor.'

She said that after she was turned away she was still in a 'lot of pain' and had gone to a chemist who had been able to give her eye drops.

When she got home a few days later she went to her own doctor who prescribed medication for her to sort it out.

But she said that last couple of days of the holiday had been 'agony' and added: 'I had to wear sunglasses all the time. I needed attention which I didn't get. My husband and I have worked hard all our lives. I couldn't believe it. I thought the NHS was there for us.'

The couple's experience has not put them off coming back for another holiday, said Mrs Griffin.

'We'll just have to make sure we don't get ill,' she said.