Specialist Public Health Lawyers Secure over £400,000 In Compensation For Attendees

Almost 50 visitors to the Newcastle Street Spice Festival in 2013, who suffered gastric illness symptoms following a food poisoning outbreak caused by raw curry leaves, have now received settlements following their ordeal.

Specialist Public Health lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have secured settlements for dozens of people who attended the event, which took place between 28th February 2013 and 2nd March 2013 at the Centre for Life in Newcastle. An estimated 12,000 people went to the event with over 400 visitors reporting symptoms of gastric illness, including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting.

A subsequent investigation by Public Health England (PHE) and Newcastle City Council (NCC) found that raw curry leaves used in chutney were contaminated by several different bacteria, leading to 29 confirmed cases of varying strains of Salmonella. In addition to this, other harmful bacteria including E.coli and Shigella were also found to have been present and may have caused illness. Some of those affected were found to have contracted more than one of these harmful bacterial infections.

PHE stated at the time that it was one of the UK’s largest outbreaks and also the first time one of the strains of Salmonella identified had been detected in the UK.

The expert Public Health team at Irwin Mitchell has now settled all of the cases in which they were instructed following the outbreak. The combined total of damages recovered for the attendees, from the event organiser’s insurance company, reached over £400,000, with individual settlements ranging from £1,200 to £29,000 depending on the severity and impact of the individual’s illness. 

Kerry Smith, 36 from Wallsend, was one of the attendees of the festival and visited on the opening day with her then boyfriend, now husband. Kerry began to suffer from stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhoea shortly after attending the festival and consuming the raw curry leaves. She still continues to suffer from some gastric issues to this day – some three years on. 

Kerry said: “Visiting the festival on the day was an enjoyable experience but it has now become memorable for all of the wrong reasons. I am still suffering from gastric illness due to the food I ate at the festival and this has affected my lifestyle. I hope that this settlement can now help me to move forward.”

Another claimant, Scott Russell, 37 from Westerhope, attended the festival with his wife, Abigail, age 39, and their daughter, Katie, 4, on the closing day with all three family members falling ill with similar symptoms, including diarrhoea and stomach pains, shortly after. Scott and Abigail continue to suffer with problems to this day, however Katie has thankfully recovered.  

Scott said: “The past three years since we attended the Street Spice Festival have been really difficult, as Abigail and I are still suffering from gastric illness.” 

“Like the many other people affected by the outbreak following the event, we are glad that our cases have been settled and we can try and put this ordeal behind us.”

Amandeep Dhillon, Partner and Head of Public Health at Irwin Mitchell, who oversaw the group action, said: 

Expert Opinion

“These settlements will finally give those who suffered with illness after attending the Newcastle Street Spice Festival some closure and they can move on with their lives.

“It is very concerning that some of the attendees of the festival are still suffering from illness over three years on from the event which really shows how serious gastric illness and food poisoning can be. These cases highlight the need for informed, clear and official advice to be given to food festival organisers/chefs to ensure that all food prepared and served is fit for consumption. Health and hygiene guidelines are there for the purpose of protecting visitors from harm. Sadly in this case many people fell ill and we hope lessons have been learnt to reduce the risk of similar outbreaks in future.

“We are aware that the NCC had, following the outcome of their report, recommended to the Food Standards Agency that they should develop information to be circulated nationally about the preparation of curry leaves and other herbs. We hope that such guidance will further protect consumers.

“Unfortunately we have seen an increase in the number of individuals who have been affected by health and hygiene standards in the public health context, which is very concerning. For example, we currently represent individuals who are bringing claims against a Toby Carvery restaurant. This case includes over 300 clients who sustained an illness believed to be norovirus after their visits to the restaurant in 2015. In addition to this, we are investigating cases arising from the high-profile Wahaca outbreaks of illness in November 2016.” Amandeep Dhillon - Partner

If you've suffered food poisoning due to poor hygiene standards, our personal injury solicitors could help you claim compensation. See our Food Poisoning Compensation page for more information.