A father has been given days to pay a huge bill for gym membership which he cancelled after his baby was rushed to hospital with a hole in her heart.

Fazal Syed, 30, of Keith Road, Hayes, has been warned he must pay £1,600 to debt collectors by Sunday or face the bailiffs.

Mr Syed joined the David Lloyd gym in Heston in May after wife, Monika Babka, 25, decided to become a member following the birth of their baby Miriam.

The father-of-four told the Gazette how he joined on the condition that although his wife would have to give three months notice, he could terminate his membership whenever he chose.

But after Miriam, now aged nine months, was rushed to hospital, his request to end the contract was refused.

He said: "I told them in July I couldn't carry on. Miriam was going blue and we were told she only had 43 percent oxygen. She was sent to the Royal Brompton hospital for heart surgery and we had to be there almost constantly for two months. How could we go when she was so ill?"

Despite arguing that he was not required to give notice he agreed to pay for three months.

But last week he received a warning letter on behalf of the gym and has been told he is contracted to pay a year's membership.

"If the contract was for a year I never would have signed it. I can't read English very well so I trusted the person showing us the contract. I can't afford to pay all that amount. Why should I be paying for it when I've done everything I should?

"We're frightened bailiffs are going to come round."

A spokeswoman for the gym said: "By signing the membership contract, the member in question agreed to the standard terms and conditions, including a minimum 12 month contract and fixed notice period. The member has a copy of this contract and these terms and conditions were explained at the time of joining."

Mr Syed, whose baby will now have to endure numerous operations as she grows, added: "The contract had very small writing. I've learnt my lesson from this. I'll never sign anything like that again."