A man with a broken leg was sent home from hospital with painkillers after doctors told him his injury was only a sprain.

Now he may have to undergo an operation to break and reset the leg.

James Lewis, of Hampden Park, Eastbourne, was playing football on Saturday, August 31, when he fell and broke his leg.

Doctors at Eastbourne District General Hospital examined him and told him had damaged the muscles and ligaments.

He was given an elasticated bandage for support, painkillers and a pair of crutches and told it should be better within four to six weeks.

However, one month on Mr Lewis was still experiencing shooting pains in his leg.

Unable to cope with the pain any longer, he went to his GP on Thursday who sent him to have a scan the following day, fearing he could have deep vein thrombosis.

Back at the hospital, the scan revealed his leg was, in fact, broken.

Doctors have now told him he must wait a further two weeks to see how his leg sets.

If it sets at an angle as it heals, he faces having his leg broken again and reset.

Mr Lewis, 26, a self-employed electrician, wants to know how he was misdiagnosed.

He said: "Why didn't they give me an X-ray? I trusted the doctors and just hoped my leg would get better.

"I have been walking on it, despite the pain, in the hope that it would strengthen the muscles. Little did I know I was walking on a broken bone."

Mr Lewis is worried further visits to the hospital will mean he cannot work.

The father-of-two said: "The scan and X-ray took more than seven hours which meant I missed a whole day of work. I can't afford not to work and because I'm self-employed I won't get sick pay.

"I have to see the doctors again in two weeks and may need further visits for treatment after that.

"I also coach two football teams, the Eastbourne Fishermen's Club and the Old Town Boys for under sevens, which my six-year-old son, Jacob, plays for.

"I really want to get back to my normal. If I had been diagnosed right a month ago I would be well on the road to recovery."

Mr Lewis's father, Peter Lewis, said: "I am disgusted with the hospital. I was a coastguard for 23 years and in every situation we would always look at every possible scenario.

"If someone has hurt their leg you should ask yourself if it's broken. Why was my son not given an X-ray?"

Dr Joan Hester, medical director of the hospital, said: "I have spoken to Mr Lewis's consultant orthopaedic surgeon.

"Although we are very sorry Mr Lewis was misdiagnosed, the casualty officer behaved properly.

"He found no bony tenderness in the examination which is the criteria to order an X-ray.

"The treatment of that type of fracture would have been exactly the same - it would not have been put in plaster and he would have mobilised his leg as the pain allowed."