A DIABETIC man is suing a holiday firm, saying he was left stranded for several hours without access to his medication or food and water.

Andrew Lewis, his wife, Karen, and her father, Kevin Heslop, were among 300 travellers left at Ontario airport, in southern California, hundreds of miles from their destination of Las Vegas.

The problems started for the family when their flight from Manchester was delayed for more than five hours in December 2008.

Mr Lewis, of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, said: “As I am diabetic, I had to notify the Thomas Cook check-in staff that I was intending to carry onboard my insulin and blood-monitoring equipment. They advised me that I could only carry on one phial of insulin, one box of test strips and one lancet (a retractable needle) and that all other medication would need to go in my case, which would be placed into the hold of the aircraft.”

After a ten-hour flight to Las Vegas, they were due to land at McCarran airport, but were told the runways were closed and the flight was to be transferred to Ontario.

Mr Lewis said: “We were kept on the stationary aircraft at Ontario for over three-and-a-halfhours without food and water.

“When I asked about getting some medication from my case, I was told by cabin crew it was not possible for any passenger to access their cases.”

Once all the passengers were allowed off the plane, they were taken to a holding area while immigration documents were checked.

The holiday party was then left waiting for another two hours. Mr Lewis said Thomas Cook staff did not arrive at the airport to organise accommodation for the passengers.

He said: “Essentially, all the passengers stood in what can only be described as an aircraft hanger, with no access to food, water, heat or clean clothing.”

He said that American Airlines staff came to the rescue and arranged for somewhere for the passengers to stay overnight until a connecting flight to Las Vegas could be arranged.

After fighting for 12 months to win compensation from the tour operator, Mr Lewis launched a legal battle in December saying his family had lost almost three days of their holiday.

The case is due to be heard at Middlesbrough County Court on April 30.

Thomas Cook has declined to comment.