Serious Gastric Illness at the Hotetur Lanzarote Bay hotel

Law firm Irwin Mitchell is urging tour operators to review hygiene standards at the Hotetur Lanzarote Bay hotel after two young children were struck down by serious gastric illness at the resort. 

The Rushforth family, from Mirfield in West Yorkshire, travelled to the Hotetur Lanzarote Bay with tour operator The Global Travel Group Plc in May this year. They have now instructed travel law experts Irwin Mitchell to investigate a claim on their behalf after their holiday was ruined by their two sons' painful gastric symptoms.

Oliver Rushforth, 7, was diagnosed as suffering from both salmonella and campylobacter.  He and his brother Oscar, 4, are still suffering from the effects of their illnesses despite having been to hospital on their return from holiday.

Mum Jackie Rushforth said: "It was quite a scary time to have such young children being so ill while we were supposed to be enjoying our holiday.

"The condition around the areas where food was being served was poor. Birds were just landing on the tables and plates after people had left and started eating from the spoons. We also saw cockroaches running around.

"The adults ate at the restaurant which was buffet style, although this was also very poor.  The food was often lukewarm, there was also chicken, pork, fish, pasta, vegetables and salad buffet, none of this was particularly well cooked or refrigerated."

Environmental Health Officers have informed Mrs Rushforth that the incubation period definitely points to the hotel as being the culprit for Oliver's Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Oliver started getting sick halfway through the holiday. He stated complaining of very bad stomach cramps and then started having very bad diarrhoea around every half an hour.

Mrs Rushforth said: "Oliver is still very off his food and both of them still have episodes of diarrhoea. I just can’t believe how bad the hygiene must have been for my family to have been exposed to such a serious illness."

Irwin Mitchell is calling for The Global Travel Group Plc to force the Hotetur Lanzarote Bay to improve its standards.

David Sumner, a travel law expert at the firm said: "The experiences described by our clients are just unacceptable. Sadly tour operators are continuing to send people to hotels that fall well short of the strict health and safety guidelines put in place to protect the public from illness.

"In this case two very young children were made very ill through poor hygiene that could easily have been avoided. Instead the Rushforth family have had their holiday ruined and in fact continue to suffer from illness."