Anita Wormald says she is still suffering from the bug she picked up on her 50th birthday cruise.

Husband Peter, 57, lost over 10lbs and was ill for weeks.

The couple, of Hove Edge, Brighouse, are now taking legal action.

They said they began to feel unwell towards the end of their two-week £2,500 treat on the Independence of the Seas.

Mr Wormald said: "From day one the food was not good. I sent the soup back as it was stone cold and the fillet steak was cold. I have never felt as poorly. My teeth were chattering every night for a week."

The couple suffered from the bacteria campylobacter which causes diarrhoea, fever and headaches. They were treated with antibiotics.

"A number of people we met also suffered from a similar illness," said Mr Wormald, a Halifax dental technician.

Mrs Wormald, a hairdresser, said: "Peter lost three-quarters of a stone and couldn't walk the dog for a month because he was so weak. It took him six weeks to return to normal."

Lawyer Rajbir Somel said: "Mr and Mrs Wormald had a truly awful experience."

The cruise company, Ideal Cruising, said they were agents for cruise liners and responsibility lay with the shipping line – in this case Royal Caribbean International.

No one at Royal Caribbean was available for comment.