The younger daughter of Melksham right-to-die campaigner Tony Nicklinson has spoken about her dad’s case to the Wiltshire Times.

Beth Nicklinson, 23, is studying animal science and management at Lackham College and lives with her parents.

She was 16 when her father had a catastrophic stroke in Athens, which left him with locked-in syndrome; fully conscious but paralysed and unable to communicate except via eye movements.

Before that moment, the family were enjoying life in the Arab emirate of Sharjah, near Dubai.

Mr Nicklinson, a civil engineer, was working in the region and Beth remembers her 6ft 4ins rugby-loving father being a devoted dad.

She said: “He was really encouraging. He worked hard during the week and dedicated weekends to family time.

“He would take us swimming and teach us; he taught Lauren how to drive out in the desert. You couldn’t ask for a better dad.

“Everyone knew him and liked him. He was very opinionated and liked debates and arguments.”

Since his stroke, which forced the family back to the UK in 2006, Mr Nicklinson has found his life intolerable.

He is too disabled to take his own life, so is making a legal challenge at the High Court, for a doctor to be safe from a murder prosecution for killing him.

The family cannot afford the costs of travelling to the Dignitas assisted-dying clinic in Switzerland and Mr Nicklinson regards it as hypocritical that the Govern-ment “exports death abroad” by allowing people to use it and thus avoid the issue at home.

Beth said Mr Nickinson’s condition left him feeling isolated from family and friends.

She said: “It’s like watching TV for him. He gave it a couple of years, but his feelings didn’t change at all. It’s not enough for him, which is why we stress it’s an individual choice.

“Not everyone with locked-in syndrome is the same. He’s an individual and it’s how he feels.

“We do support him. He did try, but he doesn’t want to live like this.”

She admits his family is now in something of a no-win situation, as they await the ruling of the three High Court judges.

“If we win, he’ll die. But it won’t be painful and it will be a lot more dignified for him,” she said.

“If we lose, he’ll either starve himself, which is one of the worst ways to go, or he’ll live a miserable life for another 20 or 30 years.

“It’s horrible – really painful – such a horrible way to go. He doesn’t want to do it, but he will.”

“He’s not suicidal. He wants the choice to do it, like everyone else. That’s what we’re fighting for.”