By David LennardCOLLEAGUES and friends of the bride who was stabbed and seriously injured while on honeymoon have spoken of their shock and horror at the incident.

By David Lennard

COLLEAGUES and friends of the bride who was stabbed and seriously injured while on honeymoon have spoken of their shock and horror at the incident.

Mark and Lisa Seaman, from Lowestoft, were walking back to their hotel at Malindi, on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, shortly after midnight on Sunday when Mrs Seaman was attacked by a German tourist.

The couple had been married four days earlier at the tropical paradise and were enjoying their honeymoon with other friends and family who had travelled to Kenya for the ceremony.

The German tourist had been drinking heavily and moments earlier had attacked and killed a Swiss man and another woman in the resort.

In an unprovoked attack, the German plunged a knife into Mrs Seaman's stomach before running off. He later committed suicide before he could be apprehended by police.

Mrs Seaman, 32, underwent emergency surgery for her injuries at a hospital in the Kenyan capital of Mombasa. Her husband has remained at her bedside and said his wife was recovering well.

Staff at Waveney District Council were shocked to learn their much-respected colleague had been the victim of an unprovoked stabbing.

“I could not believe it was Lisa I was reading about,” said one worker. “It is a terrible thing to happen, but we are all so relieved she is going to make a full recovery.”

Mrs Seaman worked in the administration department of the district council, but also served as a Special Constable.

It is believed it is through her work as a Special Constable that she met her husband, who is a serving police officer based in north Suffolk.

David Holland, spokesman for Waveney District Council, said: “It came as a terrific shock to learn of Lisa's ordeal. She is a well-respected colleague with many friends among the staff.”

He added the thoughts and prayers of council staff were with the couple. “We hope that Lisa continues to make a full recovery and that both she and Mark are quickly able to return to their friends and family here in north Suffolk,” said Mr Holland.

The couple had been planning to return home to Suffolk with the rest of their family and friends tomorrow but it is likely that Mr and Mrs Seaman will remain in Kenya for another two weeks until she is well enough to travel.

A hospital spokesman described Mrs Seaman's condition as “stable” and a Foreign Office spokeswoman said staff in Kenya would be doing all they could to help the couple.

david.lennard@eadt.co.uk