British holidaymakers’ victory after reporting faeces in the pool, dreadful food hygiene and dirty cutlery at nightmare hotel
FIRST CHOICE has been ordered to pay £1.7million to holidaymakers after they fell ill at a Turkish resort that had faeces in the pool.
The four-star Holiday Village complex in Sarıgerme was inundated with complaints after nearly 600 holidaymakers fell ill in 2009.
Tourists complained about dirty toilets and cutlery, a lack of hot water, uncovered and reheated food and floating faeces in the pool.
David Knighton, 45, booked a two week break at the Holiday Village hotel for his family in August 2009 after returning to the UK following a 10-year stint working in the armed forces in Germany.
But sons Kieron, 14, and Shane, 17, both fell ill with severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps which was confirmed as being caused by Salmonella poisoning and Kieron was also diagnosed with Cryptosporidium.
Kieron’s symptoms were so severe by the time the family returned home that his parents took him to Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital and he was later admitted to Russell Hall Hospital in Dudley where he was kept in for almost a week for treatment for dehydration.
David, a logistics administrator, said: “We booked the holiday a year in advance so were excited when it came round, particularly the children, but now we only have bad memories of the trip.
“It was meant to be a relaxing holiday for the family after I returned from Germany but the only way I can describe it now is horrendous and distressing for us all.
“The boys were so poorly and my wife also suffered agonising stomach cramps so we didn’t really feel like we had, had a holiday by the time we came back home.
“When Kieron had to be admitted to hospital when we got home it was frightening and made us angry that he had got so -ill from staying at the resort. Now that the matter has been resolved we can finally begin to move forward with our lives.
In total 160 children and 435 adults fell ill with chronic gastric bugs after staying at the resort in southern Turkey.
Holidaymakers were struck down by a range of conditions including Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter and E-Coli.
Deputy Senior Master Leslie sitting in the High Court in London ordered First Choice Holidays and Flights to pay the families involved up to £25,000 compensation each.
Suki Chhokar, from law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “Many of our clients suffered illnesses that continued after they returned home and some have still not made a complete recovery more than four years after their original illness commenced.
“Holidaymakers have a right to expect all reasonable steps will be taken to protect their health abroad in hotels or on cruise ships.
“Our clients in this case have proven failure to do so will not be tolerated and, if necessary, holidaymakers will turn to the courts to secure justice.”
A spokesman for First Choice said the tour operator doesn’t comment on settlements.
