Holidaymakers Call On Lawyers After Problems At Perkes Hotel

An uncle and nephew who were left devastated when their stay at a Greek hotel last year was ruined by gastric illness have called on specialist travel lawyers to help them gain answers and justice regarding the problems they endured.

Douglas Heads, 52, from Sunderland, and his nephew Malcolm, 38, both developed symptoms including diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps just two days into their week-long stay at the Perkes Hotel in Zante.

The pair attempted to relieve the symptoms by getting medication from a local pharmacy while abroad, but the problems proved so severe that they still required medical attention from their GPs upon their return to the UK.

Following the ordeal, the pair instructed specialist lawyers in Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury team to investigate their experiences during the holiday booked through Very Cheap Holidays acting as an agent for the Freedom Travel Group Ltd. Now as well as revealing their hope for answers in relation to their illnesses, the pair have also raised concerns that more holidaymakers may have been affected.

Jayne Murphy, the legal expert and holiday illness specialist at Irwin Mitchell who is representing the pair, said: “The first-hand accounts we have heard from our clients are clearly very concerning and we are already hard at work investigating the problems that they faced during their stay at this hotel.

“Sadly, problems of this nature are not uncommon and we have vast experience in helping holidaymakers ensure their voices are heard on such matters. It is absolutely vital that where there are issues identified that lessons are learned to reduce the likelihood of such issues arising in the future.”

Malcolm and Douglas began their stay at the Perkes Hotel on September 11th last year, but both of them were left devastated when they fell ill just two days into the holiday.

Malcolm, who is a windscreen technician, said: “While we had seen a few issues which caused concern like some of the food was undercooked, broken items in our rooms and general hygiene issues like having a dead rat left outside the hotel pavement, we never thought that we would fall so ill.

“Douglas and I both struggled with the symptoms and while we got some medication during the holiday, we had no option but to go to our GPs when we got back home.

“Worryingly, from what we could tell we were far from the only ones affected by the problems too. I saw a coach full of people leaving the hotel who appeared to be suffering from similar symptoms, including a woman who was being sick on the way to the coach.”

Douglas, a self-employed furniture remover, said: “Even though the hotel was advertised as being all inclusive, the buffet restaurant seemed more like a pool bar with only a few tables and chairs which was not enough to accommodate everyone at the hotel.

“We did not have long to eat the food when we could either as it would be open for  around an hour for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The choice of both food and drinks was minimum and of poor standard.

“I also saw a member of staff who was cleaning the pool side area with a mop and a bucket, throw the contents of the bucket into the pool and then cleaned the mop in the pool water. I thought this was disgusting and did not want to go back into the pool after this.

“While nothing will change what happened to Malcolm and I, considering the impact the illness had we just feel we deserve some answers regarding how it came to emerge. Our only hope is that standards can be improved so that no one else faces the problems we have.

“This was meant to be a relaxing break yet now we will only remember it for all of the wrong reasons.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell expertise in holiday illness cases.