A FAMILY whose holiday to Egypt turned into a nightmare after they suffered gastric illness have won a sizeable compensation pay out.

Ian Duke, aged 47, his wife Nicola, aged 42, and their two children flew to the Jaz Mirabel resort in Sharm El Sheikh in August 2010.

After five days, Ian and his son, Charlie, now aged 16, woke during the night with violent diarrhoea and vomiting.

Nicola and their youngest son, Alistair, now aged 12, developed similar symptoms a few days later.

Four years on, Ian, from New Bold, still suffers with bowel and abdominal problems.

Ian, who runs a car dealership, said: “I’ve never felt so sick in my life.

“It was absolutely horrendous. It was the worst holiday ever.”

They all suffered stomach cramps and feverish high temperatures.

Ian blames their illness on poor hygiene and lack of cleanliness at the five-star resort.

He said: “There were birds flying into the restaurant and droppings on the floor. Food was sometimes left uncovered and there were flies everywhere.

“We saw fresh food being put on top of old food so there was no wonder that we fell ill.

“To be honest, most of the place was pretty dirty.

“A hospital doctor in England said our symptoms suggested we had some sort of food poisoning.”

Law firm Irwin Mitchell has secured the family a £24,500 settlement after taking legal action against TUI UK Limited, the parent company of Thomson Holidays.

Travel lawyer Jatinder Paul from Irwin Mitchell, said: “We hope this makes up for the torrid time they had abroad and the severity of the illness they continued to suffer from when they returned.

“This is not the first time that we have represented holidaymakers at this resort. We have successfully recovered compensation for those staying there in 2009 and 2011.”

Ian added: “The whole trip was a disaster, and one we are hoping to forget about now we have achieved justice.

“School holidays are a precious time with your children and a time to take them away.

“We saved up to make it special but this was totally spoilt.

“I still suffer from stomach problems now, so you could say the entire trip has changed my life for the worse.

“We are relieved that the legal battle is now over and are just looking forward to putting this ordeal behind us.”

Initially the traumatic experience put them off travelling abroad but they have since enjoyed good overseas holidays.

Ian added: “You’ve got to make sure you do your research and book somewhere with a good reputation.

“I wouldn’t go back to the Jaz Mirabel or even Egypt if they said you can go for free.”