DIPLOMATIC pressure is mounting on the Greek government amid fears that a kidney from a North-East man who died on holiday was sold on the organ blackmarket.

The parents of Chris Rochester, 24, who died after falling from an apartment balcony on the holiday island of Rhodes, want the Greek authorities to explain why their son's left kidney was missing when his body was returned, in June last year.

And when a kidney was returned, DNA tests established it was not his.

Mr Rochester's mother and step-father, Pam and George Cummings, spoke after meeting North Durham MP Kevan Jones and North-East MEP Stephen Hughes, who is now seeking an urgent meeting with Greek ministers of health and justice.

The latest move comes a month after North Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle ruled that Mr Rochester had died an accidental death, contributed to by neglect.

Mr Tweddle raised his "great concern about the standards of medical care" in Rhodes.

Mr Cummings, of Chester-le-Street, said last night: "Despite every effort we have made so far, we have still had no answers. We want justice for Christopher and will not rest until we have his kidney and DNA tests prove it belongs to him."

Mr Cummings said there were a number of possible explanations for the loss of the kidney - it may have been genuinely mislaid or deliberately lost because it could shed light on Mr Rochester's death.

He said: "Until we have Chris's kidney, there is the possibility that it was taken illegally for transplantation.

"Then, of course, there is the question of exactly whose kidney they sent us and which is being kept in Dryburn Hospital (in Durham)."

Meanwhile, Mr Jones said he was going to try to get a Parliamentary debate on the case, as well as the wider issues about Greek health standards.

He said: "There is also the role of tour operators which needs to be examined.

"They are clearly making a lot of money and there should be some onus on them to ensure hospitals offer a comparable standard of health care.