Emergency Services Treated Holidaymakers At Wild Duck Holiday Park, Belton

Public health lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have called for a swift and thorough investigation into a chemical leak at the Wild Duck Holiday Park, near Great Yarmouth, which resulted in over 30 people being taken to hospital.

Emergency services attended the park, which is operated by Haven Holidays, on Sunday 21 June after reports of a chlorine leak.

Reports suggest that thirty-three people have been taken to three local hospitals as a precaution. They include one three-year-old child and a member of staff.

Amandeep Dhillon, an expert public health lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said:

Expert Opinion

“Reports of a chemical leak at the Wild Duck Holiday Park are extremely troubling.

“At the moment, very little is known about how this chemical leak occurred, but for the sake of all of those involved, including those who needed hospital treatment, it is absolutely crucial that the authorities and the holiday park work quickly to determine what happened in this case.

“It is absolutely vital any failings are quickly identified and rectified to reduce the likelihood of incidents like this occurring in the future.” Amandeep Dhillon - Partner

One of the experts whom Irwin Mitchell regularly work with, Professor Robert Jackson, Principal of Jackson Consulting and a Forensic Engineering Expert, said: “Chlorinating agents themselves are extremely dangerous and inhalation of their vapours may irritate the throat and respiratory system, cause coughing and aggravate asthma and cardiovascular disease, and irritation to the skin and eyes may result in chemical burns.

“The most common adverse health effects related to pool chlorination are obstructive airway problems, with the inhalation of these noxious odours resulting in eye and respiratory tract irritation.”