Press News

Egypt ‘holiday hell’ claim

By Mark Stead

8:05am Saturday 28th January 2012

AN EAST Yorkshire couple who claim they endured a “holiday from hell” in Egypt have joined a High Court action against two travel companies.

The group of 47 holidaymakers are suing First Choice Holidays and Flights and Longwood Holidays over their package trips to the five-star Movenpick Hotel in Taba in 2010. The group claim most of them developed gastrointestinal illness while they were there.

Their writ, which was issued at London’s High Court and has just been made publicly available, said they blamed food and drink at the hotel for the illness they suffered, including diarrhoea and nausea.

The writ accuses the two firms of negligence and says staff failed to wash their hands regularly or wear gloves, did not cook meat properly and failed to serve salads in chiller cabinets.

Leslie Sissons, 52, and his wife Kandy Sissons, 46, of Dalmais Close, Pocklington, are among the claimants, who also say they were served lukewarm milk, food was left uncovered, flies were allowed to settle on food and glasses, crockery and cutlery were not properly cleaned.

The writ also claims the companies knew there had been an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness earlier in 2010 but continued to send people to stay at the hotel without warning them.

Clare Campbell, a partner at Manchester-based travel law solicitors Pannone, confirmed they were representing the group. Of the claims, 46 are against First Choice and one is against Longwood.

She urged others who had experienced similar illness at the hotel complex to contact her, as they were entitled to compensation if hygiene standards at their accommodation were inadequate.

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