A North East man is in critical condition after being 'poisoned' whilst on holiday in Crete.

The man, from Middlesbrough, consumed a 'highly acidic detergent' disguised as a shot at a hotel bar in Heraklion, the capital of Crete.

The man was among four others who were also served the substance at the bar, who all fell ill from the liquid.

The incident occurred around midnight on October12, when he ordered a drink at the bar, and was unaware that the spirit was actually 'detergent'.

The brit is not the only person who fell victim during the incident as well as one other Brit, one German and two Dutch tourists, aged between 35 and 69.

Medics said all five of the tourists were rushed to a nearby University Hospital immediately after by paramedics where they remain in a critical condition.

He was then moved to the ICU of the General University Hospital in Greece where it was discovered he had suffered swelling in his throat.

According to reports, the 29-year-old bartender claimed that they had poured the liquid from a bottle labelled ‘Tsikoudia’, a popular Greek alcoholic beverage, whilst not realising it contained any highly acidic detergent.

It is also alleged that the bartender had poured themselves a glass of the liquor and two other people who worked in the hotel, but did not have time to consume the drink.

Preliminary tests on the liquid revealed it to be a highly acidic cleaning agent, causing serious internal damage to those who ingested it.

The liquid has now been confiscated by authorities in order to be thoroughly checked.

The name of the hotel has not been revealed but the bar has remained closed while the investigation is carried out with local health and safety authorities also being called in, Greek publication Athens Voice has reported.

The hotel has not yet released an official statement.

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The Greek sanitary-epidemiological services have secured samples from the hotel bar, with the research aiming to determine the exact substance that was in the bottle to clarify whether the situation was a result of negligence or a deliberate act.

Local media have reported that the hotel manager and barmaid were arrested as the police launched an investigation into what happened.

The Greek tourism industry is now on high alert following the incident, as Crete is a major holiday destination with the local tourism board expressing concern over the impact such news could have on the island’s reputation.