A seven-year-old girl from Llanelli is fighting for her life in an Italian hospital after falling ill at a hotel poolside.

Aynsley Daniels was discovered lying face down, close to the six feet deep pool, by fellow tourists on Sunday - the first day of her summer holiday with her grandparents.

Lake Garda is a tourist hot-spot

The youngster fell ill moments after playing in the pool following her arrival at the apartment complex in Maderno near Lake Garda in the north of the country.

She was airlifted to the intensive care unit at a nearby hospital where she remains on a life support machine.

Holidaymaker Gianpaolo Reguitti raised the alarm after spotting the youngster.

"I had just gone down to the pool to get my daughter's T-shirt when I saw the poor girl by the side of the pool.

"Her face had turned blue and she wasn't moving.

"She was slipping into the water and she didn't look good so I called the ambulance service immediately and went to try and help," he added.

Medical staff arrived at the scene where a doctor administered heart massage to revive the youngster.

The girl is in a coma and is in a very serious condition A police spokesman in Maderno

Aynsley's parents Andrea and Stuart Griffiths have flown to Italy to be with their daughter - their one-year-son is being cared for by a relative at their home in Llanelli.

Her condition is described as critical.

Aynsley and her grandparents had driven for 18 hours across France and northern Italy before arriving at the complex.

A spokesman for the Italian police said they were still trying to piece together exactly what happened.

"The news has left everyone in the village shocked.

"The girl is in a coma in hospital and is in a very serious condition.

"All we know is that she had just arrived with her grandparents and from what they have told us she immediately went into the pool while they were unpacking their suitcases in the apartment.

"She was happily playing with some other children when all of a sudden she said she felt ill and then she fell into the water.

"Someone who was passing called the emergency services and a helicopter was sent to the area with a doctor onboard who gave her heart massage and managed to revive her.

"She was flown to hospital where she is now in the intensive care unit."

Neighbour shock

Neighbours in Llanelli have described their shock at hearing the news.

She's a very nice, bubbly little girl - this is so terrible Anne Marie Smith, neighbour

Anne Marie Smith, who lives opposite the Griffiths in Felin Foel Road, said: "My six-year-old daughter Crystal goes to Old Road Primary School with Aynsley just round the corner.

"She's a very nice, bubbly little girl, this is so terrible. It must be shocking for them.

"I know they have recently had a new baby boy so the whole situation must be even more difficult for them at the moment."

Police in Italy were checking whether Aynsley had eaten shortly before going into the water, which might have given her stomach cramp.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the reports.

"We stand ready to provide full consular assistance, but we have not yet been asked to do so."