British tourists were left reeling from a severe gastric illness and placed on IV drips after their stay at a posh Turkish resort turned disastrous. Holidaymakers at the famed four-star Holiday Village Hotel in Sarigerme reported a bout of sickness and diarrhoea that marred their leisure time.

Worryingly, one of the guests claimed to have heard hotel staff discussing how the swimming pool was contaminated with faeces and vomit. Friends Melissa Davidson and Paige Pottinger, both 32, who first met on holiday in 2022, returned this May for a group vacation with their families at the same resort.

Tragically, Paige's seven year old son Oakley fell sick rapidly, followed by Michael, 41, and three year old Roman. Paige, from Norwich in Norfolk, and her four year old son Noah were also struck down, leading to Noah receiving IV treatment.

While most of the family began to recuperate after several days, Paige's condition persisted, driving her to seek medical assistance back in Britain her GP visit revealed no immediate issues, yet she had to take additional sick leave for recovery. Reflecting on the disappointing experience, Paige remarked: "We'd been planning this trip for some time and to bring our families together for one big joint holiday."

She recalled their anticipation, saying: "It was supposed to be a great time for us all to catch up and for the kids to have a fun time together." Paige lamented the unforeseen outcome: "This trip cost us a lot of time to organise, not to mention the cost and none of us expected to have the holiday from hell in return."

Sharing the severity of their situation, she concluded: "All of us were so ill, but myself and Noah seemed to get the worst of it. It's awful to see your children so ill, and to try and comfort them when they're being placed on drips is heartbreaking.

"Not least when you're so ill yourself. Nothing can makeup for what we all went through, but given the numbers of people who were ill, we deserve some answers and assurances." NHS worker Melissa and her two children Logan, 13, and Bella, six, began to fall ill with severe sickness and diarrhoea just three days into the holiday. They all had to visit a local clinic and pay for IV drips but Melissa says she has "never felt so ill."

Melissa, of Exeter, Devon, said: "This trip was one Paige and I had been planning for a while.We were really looking forward to getting our families together for a fun time abroad and I still can't believe the way things turned out.I've never felt so ill and it was shocking to see all the children become so sick as well. You feel so helpless in that situation and you just naturally begin to think terrible thoughts."

The families, who paid £6,000 altogether for the trip, have said the hotel complex looked in a poor state of repair, with dirty upholstery and a general lack of cleaning. They say staff added new food poured on top of existing ones in the buffet areas, without rotation, and that it was commonly left out for long periods of time.

Melissa said: "I was just glad for all of us to get home. It all could have been much, worse.Now safely home, Paige and I want answers about what happened to us and our families. I'm sure other people were sick too and I think we need to hear what is being done to prevent this happening to other families in the future."

Ryan Charlesworth, 39, forked out a hefty £2,782 for a sun-soaked week at a plush hotel with his wife Toni, 36. However, their dream holiday turned into a nightmare when Ryan began to experience severe symptoms including a high fever, body aches, and headaches just days into their stay.

His condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to bloody diarrhoea and delirium. Upon returning to the UK last month, he was rushed to hospital. The self-employed carpenter was struck down with gastroenteritis, suspected to be caused by salmonella, and also suffered inflammation of the liver and kidneys. Amidst his ordeal, Ryan was informed that the hotel's swimming pool had been contaminated with faeces and vomit.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Ryan said: "This was meant to be our annual relaxing break in the sun." He added grimly, "By the end of it, I started to wonder if I'd make it through."

Describing the severity of his illness, he continued, "This is the worst illness I've experienced and when Toni saw how ill I was in resort, the doctor was called in twice." Ryan recounted his struggle, saying, "I'm told I was delirious at that point and all I remember was the sickness and the pain."

Despite his critical state, he was determined to return home, stating, "I was determined to make it home and somehow survived the flight but I knew I was far from right." Now back in Sidcup, Kent, Ryan insists that guests should have been "warned in advance" after learning that several others had fallen ill following their stays at the same hotel earlier in the year.

He stated: "I know I'm not the only person to have fallen ill at this hotel and we understand several others were sick earlier in the year. If there were issues that were known about I feel we had a right to be warned in advance."

Jatinder Paul, an expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, commented: "The first-hand accounts we've heard from the families regarding their holidays at this hotel in Turkey are deeply disturbing.Particularly given the significant history of claims over the last 15 or so years.The latest reports of illness and substandard hygiene at the hotel are worrying and appear to show history repeating itself once again."

"Gastric illnesses, particularly bacterial infections such as Salmonella, can lead to very serious long-term health complications and their impact should never be downplayed. While it's too late for these families, understandably they still want answers on how they all came to fall so ill.

"We're committed to providing them with the answers they deserve.If during the course of our investigations any issues are identified, action must be taken to ensure other holidaymakers don't continue to have the same experiences in future. We'd be interested in hearing from other guests who fell ill while staying at the same hotel as this group as part of our investigations."

TUI has been approached for comment.