Father Stewart Green poisoned on dream Caribbean holiday wins payout from First Choice
A holidaymaker left with a life-changing medical condition
after catching a stomach bug on a dream holiday was offered £300 in
vouchers by the travel firm.
Stewart Green caught salmonella in the Dominican Republic while
celebrating his silver wedding anniversary and 50th birthday with
his wife.
Now the father-of-three, pictured right, has finally won a
five-figure payout after a long legal battle.
The 52-year-old factory worker, of Main Road, Sutton-At-Hone,
splashed out £6,000 to visit the Caribbean resort with wife
Julie.
But he was struck down with diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain
and fever while staying at the 5-star Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado
resort, and was diagnosed with salmonella poisoning when he
returned to England.
Mr Green had to take weeks off work to recover and now suffers
permanently with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a direct result
of the illness.
It has taken his more than three years of legal
dispute to get his pay out from tour operator First Choice.
But according to nursery nurse Mrs Green, it is nothing to get
excited about.
She said: "We were never really after tons of money, we wanted
to make First Choice aware of a serious issue.
"Stewart was a healthy man and he got ill, but there were babies
and our own children at the hotel as well who might not have been
as strong."
The couple have two sons and a daughter, Amelia, who was just
nine when
"Stewart has to be so careful with what he eats and constantly loses his appetite. It's totally changed our lives...” – Julie Green
they went to
the Caribbean.
Mrs Green added: "Initially First Choice offered us £300 in
holiday vouchers which just added insult to injury – the experience
scarred Stewart for life and he never wants to go abroad again, let
alone with that tour operator.
"So we persisted with the claim, but the sum only just covers
the cost of the holiday so I wouldn't call that compensation
considering it was ruined and Stewart will never be the same
again."
She added: "You wouldn't know how bad IBS can be unless you
have it or live with somebody that does.
"We can't even just pop out for dinner any more. Stewart has to
be so careful with what he eats and constantly loses his appetite.
It's totally changed our lives."
The Bahia Principe Cayo
Levantado resort in the Dominican Republic, where Stewart Green
fell ill
Mr Green, who works as a supervisor on a factory floor,
said: "Our entire family had been looking forward to this holiday,
but it was definitely not the idyllic Caribbean destination we read
about in the brochure.
"The food served was of poor quality. I saw flies landing on
uncovered food in the buffet area and on occasions the meat and
eggs were not properly cooked.
"The swimming pool had scum around the edges and the hotel staff
regularly sprayed the grounds with a foul smelling substance which
stank of sewage.
"I really hope that no one else has to suffer as I have and that
UK tour operators put the health of their customers first."
Irwin Mitchell solicitors helped fight Mr Green's case and
Suki Chhokar, a travel law expert at the company, said the resort
in Samana is part of a chain of hotels which has a "troubled
history" of illness outbreaks affecting hundreds of tourists
spanning more than a decade.
First Choice Holiday declined to comment.
30/01/13