A FAMILY break to come to terms with the death of a loved one turned into a holiday from hell after members of the party contracted food poisoning on the first day.

Retired fitter George Slater, from Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, was devastated after he lost his wife, Ann, in May 2009.

So he decided to treat his daughter, Donna-Marie Ferris, her husband Lee – who has since died – and his grandchildren, Jessica, eight and ten-year-old Ben, to a holiday to cheer them up.

He spent £5,000 on an all inclusive two-week stay at Sarigerme Holiday Village, in Dalaman, Turkey.

But the day after the family arrived, they began to feel unwell and believe the hamburgers they ate on arrival gave them food poisoning.

Mr Slater was taken to hospital, needed a drip and was bed-ridden for the rest of the holiday, while the rest of the family had sickness and diarrhoea.

He said: “I was out of it and sick all the time. I thought I was dying.”

The family is suing First Choice Holidays and Flights and is among a group of 107 people who have launched a High Court claim for unlimited damages.

The writ says that the company has already accepted liability for negligence of its suppliers.

The claimants say they were struck down with stomach bugs, including salmonella and cryptosporidium, after eating undercooked food and using a swimming pool contaminated with faeces.

The writ says they were given lukewarm food that should have been hot, undercooked barbecued food, and uncovered food infested with flies and wasps.

Food was allowed to stand on the buffet for long periods, hot food was mixed with lukewarm food, chicken was served pink in the middle and uneaten food was reused at the end of each day, they claim.

Staff are accused of failing to clear away vomit from a hotel restaurant properly and drinks are said to have been served in dirty cups.

Kelly Wheatley, from Darlington, travelled to the resort with her partner, two children – Ebony and Charlie – and her mother and father.

Her father contracted an ear infection during the trip and required his ears packing with antibiotics.

Charlie, then aged eight, also picked up a painful ear infection.

Ebony, her daughter who was five at the time, was absent from school for four weeks after contracting salmonella.

Mrs Wheatley added: “I’m just glad we saw the worst of it over here, it doesn’t bear thinking about, her being so poorly away from home.

“It is appalling, we paid £5,500 for the trip and you simply do not expect something like this to happen.”

A First Choice spokesman said: “Our legal team are engaged in ongoing negotiations with the law firm in order to resolve this issue amicably. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for us to make further comment on the case.

“First Choice would like to take this opportunity to assure all its customers that we closely audit all the resorts to which we operate, including the holiday village in Turkey, to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained.”

The spokesman added that reports of sickness in 2010 were minimal and that the holiday village in Dalaman continues to be extremely popular.