A RUGBY player from Stourport who was injured during a match in May and believed he was suffering from a deep muscle injury has discovered he had broken his neck.

James Lloyd Jones, who moved to Stourbridge Rugby Club from the Bromsgrove club in the summer, was injured following a tackle during the County Championship Shield final at Twickenham.

The 22-year-old winger went to the minor injuries unit at Kidderminster Hospital on May 23 - three days after the match - suffering from a sore neck and shoulders.

He was told he was suffering from a deep muscle injury in his shoulder and was recommended physiotherapy and exercises for his neck.

He said the physiotherapy helped to ease the discomfort in his shoulder, but although it did not reduce the pain, he felt in his neck, he continued with the treatment, believing that it would continue to be beneficial.

When he started having double vision as he looked up to catch a ball during training, he went to see a specialist at the Priory Hospital in Birmingham on September 21.

The specialist then contacted him to say he would have to undergo surgery immediately on December 2.

Mr Lloyd Jones said: "The reason I went to see the specialist was because I was having double vision - they were not looking at my neck but then they discovered I had broken it."

He works as a groundsman for his family's business in Stourport and had been going about life as normal, which included beginning pre-season training, unaware of the severity of his injury.

Mr Lloyd Jones, who has made a formal complaint to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said he felt "very angry" that his injury was not discovered earlier and believes he should have been X-rayed.

"If I had fallen awkwardly during training I could have been paralysed. I just feel annoyed," he explained.

He is now at home recuperating and has been told it could be between three and six months before he is able to work again and still does not know if he will be able to continue playing rugby.

Mr Lloyd Jones said: "After I had the operation I instantly felt better. I really want to play. I hope I can continue."

Richard Haynes, spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The chief executive has received his letter and has promised that he will look into the issues that have been raised. We will give him a full response in due course."