Sudbury: Family taken ill while holidaying in Turkey seek compensation

The Steward family from Sudbury were staying at the Sentido Perissia Hotel last month when they became unwell with symptoms including diarrhoea, severe stomach cramps, abdominal pains, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Andrew Steward, 40, his wife Angela, 39, and their two children Taylor, 12, and Amy 10, who were staying at the resort between August 6 and 23, have continued to suffer from symptoms since they returned home.

Travel experts say the illness, suffered by a number of guests at the hotel, is consistent with bacterial infection, potentially caused by poor food hygiene.

However, the travel agent says preliminary tests suggests the illness was of a viral nature and not due to poor hygiene standards at the hotel.

Mr Steward told the EADT: “The hotel was beautiful and the food was beautifully presented, but within 48 hours of arriving I became really ill with diarrhoea, headaches and fatigue. My wife fell ill two days later with severe stomach pains and then my daughter.”

The illness prevented the family from going on any excursions and they were forced to spend the whole holiday at the hotel.

Other guests at the hotel also required hospital treatment, according to specialist travel law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is acting on behalf of the families.

The company has contacted travel agents, Thomas Cook, calling for guarantees regarding safety at the hotel and an explanation of what action has been taken to prevent the spread of illness.

Thomas Cook’s service director Alastair Brass said: “We know how important holidays are to people and how upsetting it can be when you become ill overseas.

“The Sentido Perissia management immediately put into place internationally recognised Prevention of Spread of Infection (POSI) procedures, while we moved new arrivals to alternative hotels. We are contacting any customers that have returned to the UK to address any concerns they might have so we can deal with them personally.”