A PENSIONER holidaying on the Worcestershire waterways has had a day he would rather forget after his wife broke her wrist and he ended up spending the night in a police station.

The couple, from Essex, were on a narrow boat on the River Avon, enjoying the late summer sun and idyllic settings near Pershore, when their holiday took an unexpected turn for the worse.

"Apparently the lady had some sort of accident on the boat and needed hospital treatment," said Sgt Phil Worthington, of Evesham police.

"The gentleman moored at Pershore and took her to Ronkswood Hospital, where she was detained overnight."

When the man, in his late 60s, returned at around midnight to find the boat, The Primrose - hired from Stoke Prior company Black Prince Holidays on Wednesday - it had gone from its mooring near Pershore Bridge.

Despite searching frantically along the river bank, and without the daylight, he could not find the boat. He contacted the police who put him up at Evesham police station for the night.

"We put him up in a bed at the front foyer of the police station," said Sgt Worthington.

"He was obviously quite distressed about what had happened. Then in the morning, at around 6am, we searched once more and found it about half-a-mile upstream embedded in bushes and reeds. We don't know how it got there. He was relieved."

Despite the ordeal, the couple have now continued their holiday along the River Avon and were last believed to be heading towards Stratford-upon-Avon.

John Lucas of Black Prince Holidays, did not reveal the name of the couple, but he said vandals had released the boat and damaged the dash panel.

"The police found the boat upstream and then alerted the couple," he said.

"In the meantime we moved it back to where it had been moored because we're on 24-hour standby.

"When the couple returned to where it was found they thought it had been taken for a second time.

"They took it in good spirits though. They're experienced boaters."