HEREFORD MP Paul Keetch remains seriously ill and under intensive care at a London hospital today (Thursday) after collapsing unconscious on a flight to the US.

Mr Keetch, aged 46, had stopped breathing before flight crew and fellow passengers brought him back from the brink with an on-board defibrillator.

Now at her husband's bedside, wife Claire has thanked well-wishers from across the political divide and all walks of life who have inundated the family with thoughts and prayers since Mr Keetch's sudden collapse last Sunday.

The MP only regained full consciousness on Wednesday and is now able to speak briefly. But he has little understanding of what has happened to him and will probably stay sedated for the rest of the week.

Mr Keetch was travelling to Washington DC and a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly where he was to talk with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about transatlantic relations.

Instead, the Virgin 747 had to be turned round for a run back to Heathrow where an emergency medical team was waiting.

Still unconscious, Mr Keetch was flown by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital then transferred to the London Chest Hospital.

Doctors are still testing Mr Keetch to confirm the cause of his collapse. As yet, there is no obvious sign of a heart attack or stroke. He is said to be stable but seriously ill.

Mr Keetch boarded the flight from Heathrow in good spirits late last Sunday morning. He was travelling with Conservative MP Derek Conway who, from Washington, told the Hereford Times that there was absolutely no sign of what was to come.

About an hour and half into the flight, at around 30,000ft, Mr Keetch suddenly stopped his conversation with Mr Conway in mid-sentence and slipped from his seat on to the floor.

"He was telling me how proud he was of his son then just keeled over and stopped breathing. There was no noise, it was as if the lights went out," said Mr Conway.

"The cabin crew were there quickly with a defibrillator which got him back. An army medic sitting opposite then worked on him as did a GP passenger - he owes his life to these people," he said.

Mr Keetch was stabilised but so dangerously ill that the flight captain opted to return to Heathrow.

Once turned around, the 747 had to dump the best part of a full fuel load to land safely. Mr Conway then alerted the Keetch family to the situation.

The passengers and crew who helped Mr Keetch have been quizzed by his medical team for clues about the collapse.

"I can only say I'm glad he's still with us. We might be on opposite sides of the House but Paul and I have worked together for a while and he's always struck me as a great guy. My thoughts go out to the family," said Mr Conway.

News of the MP's illness shocked those who had seen him in fine form during a well-attended debate on climate change at Hereford Shirehall on Saturday.

He introduced fellow Lib-Dem MP Chris Huhne, the party's shadow secretary of state for the environment, to the event before taking part - with Mr Huhne and prospective Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Hereford Sarah Carr -in a lively Q&A session.

Ms Carr said the collapse had come completely out of the blue, the MP having been "his usual self" over a busy week that ranged from visiting the Rotherwas Ribbon to a constituency surgery in Ross-on-Wye.

"We just all hope he makes a speedy recovery," said Ms Carr.

Mr Huhne said he was terribly shocked to hear about the MP's illness' especially after showing such robust good health on Saturday.

Jesse Norman, the candidate hoping to win Hereford back for the Tories, said he, too, was shocked to hear of Mr Keetch's condition.

Mr Norman said the MP was in "incredibly good form" at Saturday's meeting.

"We had a good knockabout, no one could have guessed what was going to happen just a few hours later. I wish he and his family well," said Mr Norman.

Mr Keetch's constituency office in Hereford is full of flowers, cards and messages of support. Staff there have taken on the MP's constituency work while he remains ill.