26-year-old fell ill days after finding plastic and stones in his food

A holidaymaker is considering legal action against holiday provider Dawson & Sanderson Limited because he is still suffering from the effects of gastric illness almost two years after he returned from a break in Egypt.

Jack Cairns and girlfriend Claire Burdis, 21, fell ill during a two week break in Sharm El Sheikh from September 27 to October 10, 2014, days after complaining about finding stones and plastic shards in one of their meals.

The couple, from Doncaster, have instructed expert international personal injury lawyers Irwin Mitchell to investigate the conditions at the Sharm Grand Plaza Resort because Jack is still suffering 20 months after their return.

The 26-year-old who is currently undergoing tests to see if recently-developed nerve damage is linked to his symptoms, said his continuing ill health is making it difficult to put the holiday disaster behind him.

He said: “We shouldn’t have fallen ill in the first place, but to still be feeling the effects now, all these months down the line, is just horrible. “It was a holiday from hell to begin with, and this is making it impossible to forget.”

During their stay, Jack and Claire complained several times about the food which they said was sometimes found to be undercooked and on one occasion a pizza they ordered contained small stones and a piece of plastic was found in the chips.

The couple say they saw kitchen staff at the resort on occasion handling raw and cooked meat with the same utensils and crockery in the restaurant was sometimes dirty. Birds were also seen several times scavenging in the dining area.

“It was disgusting,” said Jack.

“There were problems from the moment we arrived. When we got to the room, I noticed it looked very dated, for example the wall paper looked old and the TV was very basic. The bedding did not look new or fresh. Claire is employed as a cleaner so was checking the room a lot more thoroughly than I was. She looked under the bed and I remember her telling me that it was filthy.

“I had a look at the balcony and noticed there was paint chipping off the barriers and there was chewing gum stuck to the railings.

“Even the pool area had a ring of black scum around the edge and the water was discoloured.”

Just four days into the break both Jack and Claire started suffering with diarrhoea, stomach cramps, dizziness and lethargy.

Expert Opinion

“What Jack and Claire went through during their holiday is concerning even more so as Jack is still suffering from symptoms almost 2 years on.

“Their holiday was supposed to be a special occasion, their first together, but it was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

“We’re continuing to investigate their experiences at Sharm Grand Plaza Resort to see what if anything could have been done to prevent their illness and ensure other holidaymakers do not suffer as they have.” Solicitors on behalf of Dawson & Sanderson have denied liability making legal proceedings likely." Simon Prew - Team Leader & Senior Associate

If you or a loved one has suffered an illness whilst in a hotel abroad, our accident and illness abroad claims team could help you to secure compensation. See our Holiday Sickness Claims page for more information.