Authorities Investigating 200 Reported Cases Of Illness

Answers are needed over a Norovirus outbreak at a Butlins resort in Bognor Regis which has left 200 people ill, experts at Irwin Mitchell have demanded.

Health authorities and staff at the West Sussex site are now trying to determine the case of the problems, which became apparent over the weekend and have impacted on both visitors and workers at the resort.

Butlins have responded to the problems by ensuring all of those affected have left the resort and been offered a refund over their experiences. In addition, people who were planning a break at the site have been given the opportunity to either rearrange or transfer their booking to another resort.

Travel law experts at Irwin Mitchell have 15 years of experience in helping people who have suffered from serious illness after stays at holiday resorts both in the UK and abroad.

A notable case saw the firm help 1,000 British guests in a battle for justice after they suffered illnesses including Norovirus and Salmonella during stays at the Torremolinos Beach Club hotel.

Clive Garner, Partner and head of the law firm’s travel law team, said: “We are concerned to hear about the problems faced by so many visitors and staff working at the Butlins site in Bognor Regis.

“As we have seen in so many of our cases, Norovirus normally causes severe short-term symptoms. Unfortunately, for many who suffer the condition it an lead to long-lasting and even permanent health problems.

“For the sake of all of those affected, it is vital that authorities work quickly to determine how this outbreak started and whether its spread could have been prevented.

 “There are well recognised steps that should be taken to contain an outbreak of Norovirus. We do not know yet whether Butlins followed these steps fully and at the appropriate time, but failure to do so could have caused the unnecessary spread of illness amongst guests. The timing of the containment measures and the efficiency with which they were carried out will need to be fully investigated.

“It is also unclear whether any guests at Butlins suffered illnesses other than Norovirus. In some of the dozens of illness outbreaks we have successfully dealt with, an incorrect label of Norovirus has initially been given by others. Our later investigation in those cases has identified that rather than Norovirus, the actual cause of illness has been Salmonella or e-coli food poisoning.

We will be carefully monitoring all aspects of this particular outbreak and the investigation into it and we are keen to hear from anyone who has suffered illness at the Bognor Regis Butlins.”