A 64-year-old Hertfordshire man who was savaged by a shark on a Caribbean island is “now able to communicate”, according to his wife.

Peter Smith, from Berkhamsted, is still in intensive care after he was attacked 10 metres offshore in Courland Bay on the north coast of Tobago on Friday, April 26.

In a statement to the BBC, his wife Jo said he is in a “stable” condition at the island's Scarborough General Hospital.

“Peter has suffered damage to his left arm and leg, puncture wounds to the abdomen and injuries to his right hand, the full extent of which are still being evaluated,” she added.

The couple had been holidaying on the island with friends and were due to fly home that day. Mrs Smith thanked "the wonderfully kind people of Tobago for all their help and support".

The bull shark was estimated to be 8-10ft long and 2ft wide, according to the Tobago House of Assembly.

The house’s chief secretary Farley Augustine said on Saturday that the 64-year-old victim had some fingers reattached after the attack with “significant wounds” to one leg that would need “extensive work”.

She added that Mr Smith was “aware of what is happening”, although he was still under strong medication.

The chief secretary thanked "all those that assisted at the scene, and especially the two friends that remained in the water to battle the shark".

Water sports manager at the nearby Starfish resort Orion Jakerov witnessed the attack and said people in the water were "physically trying to fight off the shark".

He told the Trinidad and Tobago broadcaster TTT Live: "I don't think they saw it. They were about waist height in the water so they weren't out of their depth.

"I think their backs were turned and they were just kind of lounging around. Nobody saw the shark coming."

The incident forced the island to close seven beaches and around seven miles of coastal area between the town of Plymouth and Store Bay.

A $10,000 reward was offered to anyone who could capture the shark and move it away from the coast, but was later retracted by the chief secretary on Saturday.