A WORCESTER man had a birthday he won't forget after a dream holiday to Kenya was thrown into turmoil when violence broke out during the African country's elections.

Nic Sproson said he watched locals vote in peace in the towns and villages before "it all kicked off" under allegations the president had cheated.

Mr Sproson, who was celebrating his 50th birthday with his partner Catherine Prindezis and three children - twins Marco and Natasha, aged 11 and Mary, eight - on a 16-day safari, said it was lucky the family were not caught up in the civil unrest because they had moved to the safety of the coastline just a day before tribes clashed inland.

"We went to see them vote and they were all in traditional head dress and had spears," he said. "Some of them had walked 30 or 40 kms and stood in the African sun for four hours waiting to vote.

"It was lovely to see and it all passed off very well.

"Then the election results were announced and it all kicked off from there."

About 600 people have been killed in violent clashes across Kenya - previously seen as a beacon of stability in east Africa - following the disputed presidential elections.

In addition to those killed, some 250,000 people are feared to have been displaced.

Mr Sproson, an optician who lives and works in Barbourne, said: "There is a lot of anger with the president and a lot of people we talked to said he quite clearly cheated. Hearing on the news reports of hundreds of people were being killed was very sad."

Mr Sproson said there were about 200 tourists from all over the world in his hotel before the violence started, but more than 120 of those had evacuated the country in panic before he left on Monday.

"The locals were saying that if it keeps going like this they will close within three weeks and everyone will be out of work," he said. "They have no social security out there. It's always ordinary people who are worst affected in the end."

Mr Sproson said he saw charred asphalt surfaces from barracades that had been burned down as he travelled back to the airport.

It was his second visit to Kenya - the first in 2003 when, ironically, President Mwai Kibaki was voted into power on the back of anti-corruption policy. He said: "It was very special to me and I would go back again."