THE DEVASTATED widow of a Gwent engineer who died on a dream holiday six months ago says she still does not know what killed him.

Bryan Palmer, 59, a Rowecord engineering employee from Carlyon Road, Newbridge, fell ill on a cruise in Spain in October.

Four days into the trip with Island Cruises - a branch of First Choice travel company - Mr Palmer was taken into hospital. He died a week later.

Medical notes from the hospital in Cadiz state he died of Legionnaire's disease. But his death certificate states he died of bronchial pneumonia.

His widow Lynette Palmer said she had to know how her husband died. Mrs Palmer, still shattered by her husband's sudden death, said: "I just feel like there's no future. I don't want to go on."

She said we have to know where and how he contracted the disease.

"Just days before we left he was fighting fit and happy."

On board the cruise ship, Mr Palmer started suffering from sickness and diarrhoea and stopped eating.

On October 11 he saw the ship's doctor, who said he needed to go to hospital urgently. Mrs Palmer was led to believe he had pneumonia. She said: "It was like a nightmare - there was no help for me out there and I didn't understand the doctors.

"Bryan had tubes and wires sticking out all over and one of the doctors drew a picture of a coffin and showed it to me.

"I was in pieces. It was absolutely horrendous."

Her son-in-law flew out from the UK to translate for her and managed to explain that the doctors thought Bryan had Legionnaire's disease.

He died a week after going into hospital. Mrs Palmer said: "They would only let me see him twice a day for 20 minutes - I was told by the hotel receptionist when Bryan died. It's just devastating."

The Gwent coroner's office said there was no date set for an inquest.

Mrs Palmer has no idea where her husband might have contracted the disease and is too afraid to use her shower at home in case it was the source of the bacteria.

A spokeswoman for Island Cruises confirmed the company is investigating the circumstances surrounding Mr Palmer's death.

She added: "Tests on the ship's water and air-conditioning units were done and came back as clear. We will be in contact with Mrs Palmer to keep her updated on the investigation."