STAFFORDSHIRE cricketer Peter Wilshaw says being struck down with swine flu was like "being hit by a truck".

The 22-year-old, of Blurton, pictured, had to be treated by paramedics for swine flu after losing consciousness on Sunday.

Wilshaw, skipper of Longton Cricket Club, which has seen 15 of its members struck down by the virus, said: "I just woke up in a cold sweat.

"I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I got worse and was drifting in and out of consciousness.

"When the paramedics came I felt like I was miles away. They just checked my temperature and blood pressure and made sure I wasn't going to die, even though I felt like I was.

"They just stayed for a while to make sure I was going to be OK. They didn't take me to hospital because of the risk of spreading it.

After recovering from the worst of the illness Wilshaw said: "Swine flu has been the same as a cold, but I have felt more lethargic and drowsy. I was sick as well.

"It worried me a little, with all the press surrounding it."