A HOLIDAYMAKER who needed a drip and medication after developing serious gastric illness symptoms on holiday is hoping to find answers following the “nightmare” trip.

Jonathon Barker, 24, began experiencing abdominal pains, lethargy, diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss around a week into his stay at a resort in Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa.

His illness became so severe that he sought medical advice during the 10-day holiday and continued to suffer with the symptoms on his return back to his hometown of Redcar.

Mr Barker’s stay at the Riu Touareg resort began on June 21 and it was around a week later when he first started to feel unwell.

He said: “I really struggled with the illness and the symptoms were awful. It was just horrendous and when I visited the resort’s medical centre I was stunned when they said that I needed to be put on a drip.

“It was the kind of experience that you simply never expect to have when you’re on holiday and it just turned the final part of the break into a bit of a nightmare. To make matters worse the issues then continued after I got home.

“I am so frustrated that this went on to ruin my holiday and I just feel I deserve to know whether more could have been done to stop it from happening. Hopefully taking action will mean that others won’t suffer like I have in the future.”

Since his return to the UK, Mr Barker has instructed solicitors at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the issue with a specialist holiday illness team linking his experience to a number of similar allegations made about the same resort between February and August this year.

The all-inclusive five-star resort in Boa Vista has nearly 10,000 reviews online, receiving a positive 4.5 star rating among guests impressed by its six pools and private beach.

However, earlier this year, travel operators TUI published a report disclosing that more than 30 illness episodes were reported to them from the hotel in July 2018.

A statement made by Riu Hotels and Resorts, the company who operates the Cape Verde hotel, said: ‘The wellbeing of our guests is always the number one priority whilst in the hotel and at any time subsequently.”

TUI has also confirmed that the operator regularly audits all accommodations in respect of health and safety and hygiene.