A RIBBLE Valley man struck down with a severe gastric illness during a luxury holiday to Cape Verde is seeking compensation.

David Fisher, 30, and Amy Roberts, 29, travelled to the five-star Riu Touareg hotel in Cape Verde last month to celebrate Amy’s 29th birthday.

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But just two days into the luxury week-long holiday, which they booked with tour operator TUI UK Ltd, David began to feel unwell and woke in the middle of the night suffering with diarrhoea and severe stomach pains.

The symptoms continued for a number of days and he became dehydrated and only managed to leave the room on a handful of occasions after falling ill, which left him unable to enjoy the holiday.

David received medical attention in Cape Verde, which is off the coast of Africa, and visited his GP on his return home.

The couple from Longridge were not satisfied with the treatment and the explanations which they received from TUI UK Ltd and have now instructed expert travel lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to take legal action against the tour operator and investigate the hygiene practices in place at the hotel.

The specialist personal injury lawyers were instructed by other unhappy holidaymakers who stayed at the same Riu Touareg in 2013 and more recently in 2015 after they suffered similar illness problems.

David said that the conditions at the hotel were not what they expected and that cats would often be walking through the restaurant areas. He also said there were insects in drinks dispensers and that some of the food was not cooked thoroughly including the chickenwhich was sometimes pink inside.

David, who works for an insurance company, said: “We booked this holiday as a celebration for Amy’s birthday but I began to suffer terrible symptoms on the evening of her birthday and spent the remainder of the holiday in my room in agony.We felt completely let down by TUI and they showed very little concern for our plight during our stay at the Riu Touareg.e felt we were left with no option but to instruct lawyers to help us.”

Jatinder Paul, who is representing the couple, said: “No one goes on holiday expecting to spend most of their time abroad ill in their hotel room and we have heard first hand from David and Amy about their holiday, and the horrendous symptoms David suffered, is extremely concerning.

“Understandably, they are angry and frustrated about their holiday experience at the Riu Touareg resort and they want to know what caused David’s illness, and whether hygiene and safety measures were up to the standard they should have been at the hotel.”

A TUI spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of Mr Fisher and Miss Roberts' experience. As this is now subject to legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further. We closely audit all resorts to which we operate to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained in line with industry standards.”