Holiday hell

A SHAW family have described their holiday from hell at a Turkish hotel that’s seen hundreds of guests fall ill over the last five years.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell has represented 565 guests in compensation claims against First Choice — and has urged the tour operator to take action or stop sending holidaymakers to Holiday Village hotel, in the resort of Sarigerme.

It’s the fifth year in a row that the hotel, previously known as Pegasus Palace, has been the centre of an outbreak of illness, with guests commonly suffering salmonella poisoning.

Many, including a large number of children, had to receive emergency medical treatment.

The Cheetham family are the latest to be struck by food poisoning after a week’s all-inclusive stay in May and are taking legal action.

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Cheetham became so ill with sickness and diarrhoea that she was admitted to hospital, then transferred to a private clinic, and flew home with her mother, Pam, two days later than planned when she was fit to travel.

Younger sister Alicia also fell ill on their return and it has taken two months for them to fully recover.

Their father, Chris, said: “The accommodation was fine it was just the food. We were unaware of the hotel’s history until we got back to the UK.

“The hotel staff were unhelpful throughout, although I must say the First Choice representatives were a lot better with us at the hospital.

“We are really shocked that First Choice is continuing to send people to the resort in spite of all these problems. We didn’t know anything about the previous incidents until we checked on the Internet.”

Clive Garner, head of Irwin Mitchell’s Travel Law Team, said: “Lessons clearly have not been learned. We already know that many of those who contracted illnesses while staying at this hotel are likely to develop long-term and possibly permanent symptoms.

“More worryingly there are increasing numbers of holidaymakers who have experienced similar problems this year. What we’re saying to First Choice is quite simple. More needs to be done to tackle the health and hygiene problems at this hotel. Either sort it out, once and for all, or stop sending people there.

“It is inexcusable that, after four years of problems and hundreds of people affected, guests are still being sent there and are still becoming ill.

“Unless something is done, there has to be a real chance of another summer of tourists suffering serious illness and having their holidays ruined.”

In a statement, First Choice said: “It was reported last year that there was an increase in the number of sickness cases at the Holiday Village in Turkey. An independent consultant concluded that the sickness was a result of an airborne virus and not of any services provided by the hotel.

“This year, reports of minor illness among guests are very low. Over 46,500 passengers travelled to this hotel last summer and a similar amount is expected this year. On July 28, the hotel was nearly at full capacity with 3,613 guests. There have only been four reports of minor illness in the last week which equates to less than 0.1 per cent of the total guest population — very low for this time of year.”