A Suffolk Police detective constable is slowly returning to duties after being left fighting for his life on the Critical Care Unit with Covid-19.

Stowmarket couple Alan Simons, 37, and his fiancée Hollie Page, 42, tested positive for Covid-19 in mid-December 2021.

Hollie said Alan very quickly went "downhill" and was advised to go to the hospital where he was moved to the Critical Care Unit on Christmas Eve.

He was discharged after just shy of two weeks in hospital on Thursday, January 6 and has been living with long Covid ever since.

Alan is gradually returning to duty and Hollie attributes his recovery to the attentive care of West Suffolk Hospital staff.

"He was in a very poorly way with Covid and, quite simply, the care he had at the hospital saved his life," Hollie said.

She added: "It wasn't just about the treatment and care, the team also went above and beyond to support him emotionally and mentally - they also did the same for me.

"During one of the scariest times in my life, the doctors and nurses were always reassuring, calming and were there to help me when I needed them"

Inspired by the West Suffolk Hospital staff, Hollie decided to raise money for the unit by running the Colchester Half Marathon in May.

She raised £1,671 and clocked up a time of one hour and 58 minutes, with which she was "delighted".

Sally Daniels, fundraising manager for My WiSH charity which serves the patients of West Suffolk Hospital, said: "It was a pleasure to meet Hollie and Alan and see them reunited with Miguel and Owen who were both a huge part of his recovery.

"The total raised by Hollie is incredible and will be used to help support patients and their families who need to use the critical care unit, so it will make such a difference to so many others like them."

The Stowmarket couple are planning to get married next year and Hollie added: "Alan is still recovering and we have a long road ahead of us, but he is making leaps and bounds."