It should have been the trip of a lifetime for newsagent Bharat Amin and his family when they set off on a Christmas cruise around the Mediterranean.

But they and hundreds of other passengers were forced off the liner Costa Riveria after sewage starting seeping into the cabins.

It's plain from the tale told by Mr Amin that the luxury ship should never have sailed with the plumbing in such poor condition. Passengers were lucky not to have picked up serious illnesses.

At least the Amins were given free flights home and have been offered refunds.

But they never thought that instead of selling newspapers they would end up in the headlines themselves.