Holiday left Bishop Auckland teen with stress syndrome

Oct 30 2011 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A FURIOUS family are suing a holiday firm claiming a sickness bug outbreak at their luxury Egyptian resort left their daughter battling Post Traumatic Stress syndrome.

It was supposed to have been an idyllic sunshine break for the Hoppers and the McLeaveys – 14 days of care-free fun at the four-star St George Three Corners Resort in Sharm El Sheikh at a cost of some £7,000 between them.

Donna and Dominic Hopper, 40, their three children Sophie, 17, Nathan, 20, and Paige, 11, and Donna’s brother and sister-in-law Darren, 43, and Lisa McLeavey and their daughter Bethany had all visited the hotel together twice before and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Yet the two families, of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, claim the resort had descended into filthy chaos since their last visit, making seven of them severely ill with gastric vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

Bethany, 15, spent two days in hospital on a drip – and 17-year-old Sophie was placed on a drip in the hotel. She has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by her GP.

The families claim they found food left uncovered, swarming with flies; dirty toilets and washbasins and children urinating in drains adjoining the swimming pool

The two families also claim resort managers refused to admit a sickness bug was affecting the hotel – prompting them to launch a compensation bid.

Blaming poor food hygiene for their illness, the Hoppers and the McLeaveys enlisted help from solicitors Irwin Mitchell.