Holidaymakers hit by gastric illness receive £1.7m payout

Lawyers representing nearly 600 people – including more than 100 children – told a High Court official that a settlement totalling around £1.7m had been agreed with tour operator First Choice Holidays and Flights.

Travellers stayed at a Holiday Village resort in 2009, a hearing in London was told.

The official – a High Court master – made an order saying no children involved should be identified.

Lawyers said settlements had been reached without admissions of liability. Under European law, tour operators can be liable for problems at resorts even though they may not be at fault.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represented tourists, said after the hearing that holidays had been “ruined” by an outbreak of gastric illness at the resort in Sarigerme.

An Irwin Mitchell spokesman said the settlement would will see more than 160 children and 435 adults receive damages of up to £25,000 each.

“The level of damages awarded to each holidaymaker depends upon factors including the severity and duration of any illness they suffered and the amount of any financial losses and expenses they incurred,” he said.

“A number of guests required hospital treatment in resort due to the severity of their symptoms and some were still troubled by the effects of the illness on returning home to the UK.

“A number of young children also required hospital treatment on their return to the UK. Some of the holidaymakers concerned are still suffering symptoms even now.”

He said guests told lawyers of the “awful” conditions, including faeces in swimming pools, dirty cutlery and dirty toilets.

Lawyer Suki Chhokar, a partner in Irwin Mitchell’s travel litigation team, said: “Clearly, holidaymakers should not have been exposed to conditions like those that prevailed at the Holiday Village in Turkey and the entire legal team at Irwin Mitchell are delighted that justice has finally been done for our clients.

“Many of our clients suffered illnesses that continued after they returned home and some of our clients have still not made a complete recovery more than four years after their original illness commenced.

“We remain very concerned that some hotels and tour operators are still not taking adequate precautions to protect the health and welfare of their guests. Every year we are asked to help hundreds of holidaymakers who have suffered illness at hotels or on cruise ships due to unacceptable hygiene standards.

“We want the general public to be safe while on holiday and we urge all those under-performers in the travel industry to clean up their acts immediately.”