7:30am Thursday 29th July 2010
By Matt Watts
As thousands of Lambeth residents jet off for their summer breaks, spare a thought for a West Norwood couple still suffering after a holiday from hell.
Charles, 65, and Ann Fish, 63, are suing holiday company Thomson after a holiday in 2008 in a notorious Spanish hotel that saw Mr Fish hospitalised for five days with severe gastric illness.
Mr Fish, who had a kidney transplant 15 years ago, was taken to hospital from the Beach Club Torrelimos Hotel after he was bedbound with severe vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea several days in to his trip.
Mrs Fish, a teaching assistant at Jubilee Primary School. in Tulse Hill, who stayed by his side at the hospital, was struck down with similar problems within hours of arriving at the all-inclusive resort.
They claimed the travel company sent them to the hotel knowing there had been previous problems there.
Mr Fish said: “It was the worst holiday ever. We don’t know what it was at the hotel – the food or the accommodation – but so many people got ill while we were there. Thomson just don’t want to know.”
Law firm Irwin Mitchell successfully won £2.5m in compensation for more than 1,000 holidaymakers who suffered salmonella food poisoning, and other gastric illnesses, during their stays at the same hotel between 1999 and 2006.
Clive Garner, head of travel law at the firm, said: “The Beach Club has a shameful history of illness dating back more than a decade.
“And yet, despite this, tour operators are once again trying to pull the wool over customers’ eyes by denying any responsibility for their suffering.”
A Thomson spokeswoman said the company continually reviewed its accommodation and the company no longer offered the hotel.
She said package holidays were the safest and most protected way for customers to take holidays and guests due to travel with the company would get high-quality accommodation.
She said: “As Mr and Mrs Fish have sought legal representation, we are unable to comment on their particular case so as to not unduly interfere or influence any future legal proceedings.”
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