A British couple who collapsed unconscious after a drinking session on the first day of their holiday in Portugal face prosecution for allegedly neglecting their three young children.

Eamon and Antoinette McGuckin were taken to hospital for emergency treatment while their children, aged 1 to 6, were taken into temporary care by the authorities on the Algarve.

The couple, from Maghera, Co Londonderry, could be called to court as early as today to face charges of abandonment, negligence and drinking to excess in front of a child.

Mr McGuckin, 34, who was a manager at Ulster Bank and now works for a mortgage company in Londonderry, is alleged to have collapsed on a sofa in the reception area of the three-star Mourabel Hotel in the Vilamoura golf resort on Friday night. His 32-year-old wife is said to have staggered into the bar with her children before passing out.

Emergency services could not wake the parents so they were taken to hospital for treatment while their three children were taken to a local refuge.

A spokesman for the GNR police in Vilamoura said: “The parents had been drunk since 3pm. Staff called us at 10pm as the children were crying and they could not revive the parents, who were both out cold.

“We arrived to assess the situation and called the INEM [Portugal’s national medical emergency service] as the parents were unconscious, and they were taken to hospital.”

The manager of the Mourabel said that the family arrived on Friday afternoon. They are believed to have visited a local pub where pints of lager costs €1 (78p) before going for dinner at 8pm.

“They arrived back about 10pm and they entered the door in reception and the man, he tried to sit down on the sofa and fell through it,” the manager said yesterday. “He fell asleep immediately – he passed out. We tried to wake him but it was impossible.

“The lady, she tried to go with the children to the apartment. She was struggling with the pushchair, swaying around from side to side.”

He added: “We put her and the children inside the bar. She was sitting on a chair and she fell asleep and never woke up. We tried to wake her, we tried to put some water on her face and head to wake her but she was very, very bad. She started to be sick every minute. We decided to call the emergency services.

“The eldest [child] was talking to us and answering questions, but sometimes you could see the tears falling down his face as he cried. He could understand that something was very wrong.”

Mr and Mrs McGuckin arrived back at the hotel at about 7am on Saturday in search of their children. “They had run away from hospital and pulled the intravenous drips from their arms,” the manager said. “The mother and father were crying and both were very, very embarrassed and shocked.”

Dr Luis Villas-Boas, director of the Refúgio Aboim Ascensão children’s home in Faro, said that Mr McGuckin had tears in his eyes when the couple came to collect the children on Saturday morning but were silent when he admonished them.

A barman at the Mourabel Hotel said: “It was a very hot day and I don’t think they meant to drink that much but when they tried to stop I think they just couldn’t. They seemed very nice people. It is a great shame this happened.”

Mr McGuckin refused to comment.

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