THE elder daughter of Baroness Maddock, the Southampton peer, is recovering after being critically injured in a fall while studying abroad.

Becki Maddock, 23, suffered extensive injuries after falling four floors from the balcony of her flat in Alexandria, Egypt. She was taken to hospital in Alexandria where her father, Bob Maddock, flew out and spent five days with her last month before bringing her home, accompanied by a doctor.

Initially she was taken to Southampton General Hospital, where she underwent two operations. She has a badly broken leg, smashed elbow, broken pelvis, and broken vertebrae.

She has since been moved to another hospital at an undisclosed address.

Becki had been in Alexandria for about one month. She is in her second year of a four-year course at Exeter University studying Arabic and Spanish and was on a year's placement at Alexandria University.

Lady Maddock, who is president of the Liberal Democrats, said her daughter had been very ill with extensive injuries but her condition was improving.

The circumstances of the fall were unclear. She said: "We don't actually know what happened. She cannot remember. Her flatmate had gone to bed when it happened. She may have blacked out."

Baroness Maddock confirmed she has separated from her husband after 23 years - amicably - but they have been sharing the care of their daughter in hospital.

They have a younger daughter, Anna, 21.

The telephone call, in the middle of the night, telling them of Becki's fall brought fears she may have been paralysed and subsequent operations had been the worst experiences of her life, said Lady Maddock, whose family home is in Southampton.

"This is quite the worst thing that has happened to me. I would not wish it on anyone," she added.

"We have every hope she will more or less recover."

She went on to say her daughter would be ill for some time and would require extensive therapy, but had loved Egypt and wanted to go back when she had recovered sufficiently.

Becki is a former pupil of Cantell School in Southampton.

Lady Maddock, a former teacher at three of the city's schools and a city councillor from 1984 to 1993, won the high-profile by-election at Christchurch, Dorset, in July 1993.

She lost the seat in 1997 by just 2,165 votes but was awarded a life peerage and resumed her work as Lib Dem housing spokesman from the House of Lords. She was elected unopposed as the party's president last summer. Her term will run until next year's party conference.

At this year's conference in September Lady Maddock said she was unlikely to seek a second two-year term as the role was so demanding and she would like some "personal space" again.

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