A family have been left bed-bound after falling 'violently ill' while staying at a five-star resort in Cancun, Mexico.
Despite their holiday to the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort and Spa in Cancun taking place back in July, the Richards family are all still reportedly suffering the effects of 'food poisoning'.
All six members of the family are said to be experiencing extreme sickness and diarrhoea weeks after flying back to the UK, reports Derbyshire Live. Katie, 33, and Ashley Richards, 34, had booked the five-star hotel for them and their six-year-old daughter Ruby to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. Other family members also joined them during the two-week trip.
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Katie's ill-fortune started just six days into the trip when she started to feel under the weather and couldn't keep her food down. Three days later, Ashley, Ruby and a nephew were also struck down with the mystery illness. Ashley was also bed-bound for three days.
Katie, who works as a nurse, said: "When we landed in Mexico, we were looking forward to two weeks of sun and relaxation. Ashley and I had honeymooned in the Riviera Maya area, and we had such a fantastic time back then that we agreed to bring our daughter on holiday on our ten-year anniversary.
"Sadly, our trip was nothing like that. Instead, most of us spent most of the second week unwell."
She claimed: "I recall some of the food, including chicken, appeared undercooked and was served lukewarm. New food was added on top of the existing buffet and some items were totally dried out and inedible.
"I also noticed that salad, yoghurts and cottage cheese weren't kept chilled, and the cutlery and crockery were often dirty or stained. We also saw a lot of flies around the food, as well as cats, birds and raccoons hanging around.
When the family returned to the UK on August 3, they were forced to go to their GP as the symptoms continued. Katie added that her own parents also fell ill, meaning the whole holiday party were overcome by illness.
The pair have also been to see their doctor, with Philip testing positive for cyclospora, a pathogen contracted by drinking unclean water or eating food that hasn't been cooked properly or washed with clean water. Philip said: "I was shocked when I was told by the doctor that I had cyclospora and learned about how it can be contracted.
"Being a retired chef with 40 years of professional catering experience, I did notice some concerning issues around food hygiene as the holiday went on, but I never thought that most of my family would become so unwell."
The family has now instructed lawyers to try to find answers.
Derbyshire Live contacted Sirenis Hotels, the company that owns the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort and Spa for its response to the claims, and reported they were still awaiting a reply.
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