A FAMILY are taking legal action against holiday operator Thomas Cook after falling ill during a five-star Christmas break.

Poole family Darren Money, 55, Lisa Money 48, and their 16-year-old son, Alex, travelled to Hotel Playa Pesquero, Cuba, in December last year.

Just a few days into the holiday, Mr Money and Alex began suffering from gastric illness symptoms.

Alex became so ill that the resort's doctor was called.

While the doctor treated the teenager, Mr and Mrs Money claim that "numerous other guests" were receiving medical treatment.

The family were then advised to visit an off-site clinic for further testing.

Alex needed an ultrasound, urine tests and blood tests. However, the family say that due to the language barrier, they were unable to fully understand the treatment Alex was receiving and the reason for it.

The teenager was eventually given antibiotics before the family was presented with a £500 bill for the treatment.

Mr and Mrs Money have now instructed personal injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the circumstances.

The law firm has also acted for more than 20 people who have stayed at the Hotel Playa Pesquero in the last three years, including 11 people in 2015 alone.

Amandeep Samra, a lawyer at the company, said: "The Money family have told us of a number of safety and hygiene concerns they have and we are investigating the circumstances around their illness in the hope of providing them with the answers they deserve for their ruined holiday."

The family claimed they saw "birds and flies" in the restaurant, as well as insects and bugs in their room.

Food meant to be served hot was left out until it cooled, while fresh food was poured over food already in trays, it is said.

The family also claim they saw members of staff not washing their hands after using the toilet.

Mrs Money said: “We were really disappointed with our holiday.

"The symptoms Darren and Alex suffered were terrible and not what we expected to be dealing with when we booked the holiday with Thomas Cook.

“The fact Alex’s problems were so bad that he needed to receive medical treatment shows just how serious his illness was. We want to know what caused the illness and to see if anything could have been done to prevent it.”

A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: “We want our customers to have the best possible time on holiday, so we were sorry to hear reports that Mr Money and his son were ill. 

"As always we will look into this case thoroughly and if we need to, speak to the hotel to put things right.”