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Pannone LLP

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Manchester, Alderley Edge, Hale

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Bulgaria Holiday Misery

September 2007

For the third year in succession, tourists at the Royal Park Hotel in the Black Sea resort of Elinite, Bulgaria have been hit by a sickness bug that has ruined their holiday.

Manchester travel law specialist, Andrew Morton from solicitors Pannone LLP says his firm has already received some fifty complaints, including those from a group of sixteen holidaymakers who returned from the resort at the end of August after "Two weeks of sheer hell". Now they are to take action to gain compensation for their dreadful experience.

Terrifying thought

Tracy James from Stroud in Gloucestershire, who was one of the party of sixteen family and friends who had saved for months to go on a "dream holiday". She said, "We chose the holiday as a relaxing break with everything taken care of on an all-in basis. All of us were ill apart from the two 5month old babies in our party, my son Charlie and my friends little boy, Oliver. They were the only ones who didn't eat the hotel food, so when the First Choice rep said we were suffering from an airborne virus it didn't make sense. Thank goodness the little ones didn't become ill, the consequences are too terrifying to even think of.

"It was dreadful to see everyone so ill. My other little boy, Cameron who is seven was violently sick and found it hard to understand what was happening to him. It completely spoilt our holiday, which in part was a farewell trip for our friends, Sarah and Dave Bendle who are emigrating to Australia later this month.

Bacterial disease

"Virtually everyone we spoke to at the hotel had been ill at some point during their stay and since we have been back my sister has had it confirmed that her seven year old daughter Keeley was the victim of a bacterial disease caused by campylobacter and cryptospyridium, two bacteria we are told are associated with poor standards of hygiene."

Tracy and her sister Theresa Rosser have complained to First Choice but have had no satisfactory reply. "That's why we've gone to a solicitor who specialises in travel law," said Tracy. "I'm amazed to discover that this hotel has had identical problems in the recent past and I want to know why they continue to send people out there."

Taking action

Said Andrew Morton from Pannone's Solicitors, "We are investigating all the complaints of ruined holidays at the Royal Park and will be taking the appropriate action to gain compensation for those who have had their holidays ruined. I would also urge anyone who has suffered similar problems at this hotel or in this resort to speak to their solicitor if they do not receive an adequate response from the tour operator."

 For more information visit www.pannone.com  

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