A father-of-two thought to be dying from a brain tumour was at first told by doctors he just needed glasses.

Roy Collins went to see his GP in July complaining of severe headaches and balance problems.

The 31-year-old was told he might be suffering from an ear infection and could need glasses.

About three weeks later Mr Collins, of Hendon Street, Brighton, saw doctors at the Royal Sussex County Hospital but was again sent home after being told nothing was wrong.

Last week he returned to hospital where an MRI scan revealed an inoperable brain tumour.

His distraught mother, Brenda, said: "From his symptoms it should have been pretty obvious there was something wrong. I am angry about it."

Mrs Collins, 47, and her husband Paul, of Hillrise Avenue, Sompting, face an anxious wait for the results of a biopsy to show whether the tumour is cancerous.

The former psychiatric nursing assistant, said: "I don't know if the results of the biopsy are going to make any difference. The doctors have not come right out and said the tumour is terminal but that's my understanding."

She said her son, who was transferred to Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre in Haywards Heath, has been hallucinating and is being kept sedated.

She added: "He can recognise us but that's a miracle. He doesn't know his date of birth or what Christmas is or anything.

"Even though the tumour is inoperable and it may not have made a difference if the doctors had picked it up earlier it could be different for someone in the future.

"We don't know what damage has been done by the fact it's been allowed to grow."

Mr Collins worked as a nursing assistant in Worthing before he was involved in a motorbike accident four years ago. His daughter Beth, seven, and five-year-old son Reece live with their mother in Shoreham.

Friend Stephen Walker, of Milner Road, Brighton, took Mr Collins to the doctor when he complained of headaches and started falling over.

Mr Walker said: "He was in there for about two or three minutes. Roy is one of these blokes who has always said he is fine and doesn't want a fuss made so I went in and asked the doctor if Roy had told him about the headaches.

"He said no but it would be consistent with his diagnosis which was he had a possible ear infection and probably needed some reading glasses because he'd spent too much time on the PC."

A spokeswoman for the Royal Sussex County Hospital said the family's concerns were being looked into.