Holiday hell for OAP pair

Aug 24 2008 by Nicola Juncar, Sunday Sun

WHEN retired couple Pauline and Fred Bird booked a holiday beside the seaside they were hoping for a good old-fashioned British break.

But the pensioners — who paid £300 for a five-day stay at Pontins in Blackpool — claim they endured a holiday from hell after being greeted by a catalogue of filth.

The pair, of Wallsend, North Tyneside, say the beds in their chalet were unmade, sheets were covered in hair, the carpets were damp, curtains smelled of mildew and the bathroom floor was flooded.

Pauline, 66, said: “When I opened the door to the chalet I got the shock of my life . . . and the smell was just horrendous.

“It looked as though no one had been to clean it since the last guests had left.

“The bed was a mess and the sheets were covered in hair and skin.

“And the bathroom was disgusting. It was covered in filth. I wouldn’t have let a dog stay there.”

When Pauline complained to the manager, she claims she and her husband were told that all the chalets were the same and there was nothing that could be done.

The bedding, however, was changed, but Pauline said: “Even with the new sheets you could still smell the damp in the room and I found it impossible to get any sleep.

“I disinfected the shower myself before I would even think about getting in it.”

She added: “We know we didn’t spend a lot of money for the holiday, but you still expect the room you’re staying in to be clean.”

And Pauline, who has fought cancer, says she became ill on her return from the holiday on Friday, August 8, and had to call out her GP.

She was diagnosed with a bad chest infection, which she is now treating with antibiotics and steroids.

She said: “I have been unwell in the past and I am prone to infections, but my doctor said that staying in a damp environment won’t have helped.”

She now plans to make an official complaint to Pontins, demanding an apology and a full refund.

The holiday was booked through the Wallsend branch of Hays Travel and staff have advised Pauline to put her complaint in writing directly to Pontins.

A spokeswoman from the regional head office for Hays Travel said: “We are sorry the customer wasn’t satisfied with the holiday and we will work with them as best we can throughout the complaint procedure.

“As Hays are just acting as agents for Pontins, the complaint letter has to be directed to them.

“However, if the customer isn’t pleased with how Pontins deal with their complaint we will, of course, get involved at that stage and do what we can to resolve the matter.”

Despite our repeated requests for a comment from Pontins, the company has not responded.