Daily Telegraph UK: Paul Sparrow, 58, and partner Valerie Roberts, 46, were set upon by a gang with knives as they sat on rocks on a beach on the Caribbean island of Margarita off Venezuela. Mr Sparrow had a noose put around his neck and knife held against his throat. When he struggled with one of the three attackers he was repeatedly stabbed in the back and hit over the head with a rock.

Miss Roberts, a gardener, also suffered stab wounds to the back and had her throat, arms and legs slashed in the horrific attack. Their bag and camera were stolen in the robbery, which left the pair bleeding heavily and in need of hospital treatment which cost them US$3,280 to fund.

• The attack happened after the couple had been confined to their room for a week after suffering a bout of food poisoning at the start of their two week break.

Now the couple are back at their home in Bridport, Dorset UK, and are demanding compensation from First Choice, who they booked the holiday through. Mr Sparrow, a businessman, said: "It was meant to be a trip of a lifetime but it turned into our worst living nightmare."

Miss Roberts added: "I'm sure we would have been killed if Paul hadn't have stood up to them. It was terrifying and I have constant flashbacks of it."

Mr Sparrow paid $3,280 for the all-inclusive holiday and booked it as a surprise for his partner. After recovering from the food poisoning they thought they would cheer themselves up with a stroll along the beach.

Mr Sparrow said: "We had been told by the holiday rep not to wear jewellery if we went into town but no mention of lawlessness or dangers. It was 10 a.m and we had gone about 150 yards along the beach and sat on some low level rocks looking at the view when it happened. Before I knew it somebody tied a rope around my neck and held a knife to my throat. I put my hand up and grabbed hold of the knife, the guy was on top of me. Another guy stabbed me three times in the back. I got one guy over my shoulder and tried to stand up when another guy smashed me on the head with a rock."

He said he recalled seeing Miss Roberts grappling on the floor with one of the attackers on top of her. "The first thing I thought was to get the guy off Val. The other two guys with knives were slashing and stabbing me, they stabbed me in the middle of my hand. I just raged with adrenaline and anger, Val had her teeth in this guy's hand and then they all just ran. We were literally fighting for our lives. It is not what you expect to do on holiday. Val's legs were a right mess. We were both just covered in blood, my white T-shirt looked red. We stumbled back to the hotel, supporting each other."

The manager of the Costa Caribe hotel rushed to their aid and took them to the doctor's room where they were cleaned up before being taken to hospital. They were treated, given stitches and put on pain-killing drips before being released.

The couple did have travel insurance but because the hospital they were taken to wasn't affiliated with their insurance firm they had to pay $3,000 up front. They are now trying to claim for that money back as well as compe