HOLIDAYMAKERS are taking legal action against a tour operator for sending them to a hotel hit by an outbreak of illness.

John Cook, from County Durham, said he was not warned about the problems at the Cala Llonga Fiesta hotel, on the island of Ibiza.

Mr Cook is furious that he and his wife, Carolyn, were allowed to stay there at least five days after the tour operator was informed about guests suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

The couple, who are from Consett, arrived at the hotel on September 22 last year and found warning notices dated September 17 pinned to walls informing people about the outbreak.

Several families, including the Cooks, who paid £1,300 for their two-week break, are seeking compensation from travel company Thomson. Other claims are expected.

Suki Chhokar, associate solicitor of the International Travel Litigation Group, based at law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: "Tour operators need to ensure that health and hygiene standards in the hotels they use are of a reasonable standard.

"They also need to closely monitor hotels they use and act quickly if guests start becoming ill.

"I am very concerned about the allegations here that a tour operator arranged for further holidaymakers to book into a hotel when they were aware there was already a problem there with an outbreak of illness.

"Here, illness among adults and children could have been avoided. We are pressing the tour operator for early payments of compensation for our clients."

Betting shop manager Mr Cook, 53, said: "After eating breakfast on the first morning at Cala Llonga Fiesta, my wife was violently sick, had dizzy spells, diarrhoea and stomach pains. She was scared to eat and drink anything throughout our stay as a result of her illness."

A spokesman for Thomson said: "This is a legal case so, therefore, Thomson cannot comment on any of the issues until it is resolved."

Mr Cook said: "They should have closed the hotel to new guests until the problem was sorted."