Man Who Hasn't Stopped Farting After Eating Ham Roll Five Years Ago Sues For £200,000

A man whose life has been plagued by relentless farts since eating a ham roll is suing the stall that sold it to him for £200,000.

The man, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was visiting a Christmas market in Birmingham with his wife and children back in 2017 when he picked up the snack.

But within hours, things started to go south for the 46-year-old, who was hit by cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, with his lawyers telling High Court that he was bedridden for the next five weeks.

His ordeal was far from over though, and lawyer Robert Parkin said his client was sick for months, with 'excessive flatulence' still blighting him five years on.

The farts are apparently so bad that they're even affecting his sleep.

Alamy

Parkin said: "The claimant continues to suffer from excessive flatulence, which causes him a great deal of embarrassment. 

"The symptoms are, primarily, fatigue and altered bowel function associated with 'churning' within his abdomen and flatulence.

"The claimant's stomach continues to make frequent churning noises to the extent his sleep can become disrupted.

"The extent of the symptoms has been life-changing."

The unfortunate farter claims he contracted salmonella from the bap and says market operator, Frankfurt Christmas Market Ltd, should pay more than £200,000 in compensation for its negligence. However, the company denies blame and claims there was no salmonella bacteria at the ham hock stall.

Lawyer Parkin said: "A total of 16 people in three groups complained of similar symptoms after eating at the stall.

"Following an investigation by Public Health England, two cases of salmonellosis were confirmed as originating at the stall between 9 and 11 December 2017.

"E.coli bacteria was found on a knife used to cut cooked meat and an unsatisfactory level of enterobacteriaceae – the family of bacteria containing both e.coli and salmonella – was found.

"This caused the stall to be closed and deep cleaned and the remaining food disposed of."

The company is defending the allegations, disputing that he was infected by salmonella bacteria and also questioning the size of his claim.

Alamy

Its barrister, Philip Davy, said Birmingham City Council environmental health officers had attended the stall to do tests but no salmonella was found, only the presence of e.coli on a knife – and the man had not claimed he suffered an e.coli infection, he said.

"The allegation the bap was contaminated with salmonella bacteria is not admitted and must be proved," he said.

"Whilst the claimant contends his primary injury to be alleged salmonellosis, no salmonella bacteria were isolated at the ham hock bap stall.

"Accordingly, causation is, has been, and shall remain, in issue in this case."

The case went before a judge, Master Mark Gidden, at the High Court last week for a hearing to plan a future trial of the claim.

Rory Badenoch, representing the claimant, said the damages claim would be for more than £200,000 – and potentially considerably more – given the ongoing effect on him.