A couple who were left seriously unwell at a luxury hotel in Cape Verde have explained some of the shocking conditions they witnessed.
Cordelia Plummer and her partner Ian Waller, both 56 at the time, were just two of more than 1,500 Brits said to have fallen ill on the island in the last three years alone, with one mum also tragically dying after suffering serious gastric problems while staying at a five-star hotel.
Elena Walsh died in August of this year while out celebrating her husband's 60th birthday and her son's engagement, with the family left devastated after she became so ill on what was supposed to be a celebratory holiday.
Her husband Patrick said: "We were really worried about the hygiene at the hotel – the food was often lukewarm, the cheese on the pizza was not melted properly and seemed undercooked.
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"On one night, my son mentioned that the chicken tasted funny, so he stopped eating it.
"I’m not sure we’ll ever get over what happened to Elena, but we have so many concerns about what caused her death. Elena was the heart and soul of our family."
Although Cordelia and Ian's issues weren't quite as serious, they have shared some of the conditions they experienced during their own stay in Cape Verde, with problems ranging from uncooked food to cockroaches.
Cordelia said: “What started as headaches and a feeling of nausea, became the worst sickness and diarrhoea I’ve ever known.
"I think everyone has probably had an upset stomach at one time or another, but this was something much worse.”
Irwin Mitchell serious injury lawyer Jatinder Paul said his firm had represented 200 people who'd fallen ill at the Riu Cabo Verde hotel in the past three years, as his team also look into the potential of there being medical negligence in the case of Elena.
He said: "The sheer volume of clients we’re continuing to see coming forward having fallen ill during stays in Cape Verde over the last three years is incredibly concerning."
The number of cases is perhaps unsurprising when you consider the number of cockroaches Cordelia claims she saw during her stay in the African country.
She added: "The cockroaches were also disgusting, and when we pointed this out on one occasion, a member of staff came out, picked it up in a napkin and walked towards the kitchen with it.
"The number of stories we have seen and heard before coming home and returning to the UK are shocking. Had we seen these beforehand, we’d never have booked the holiday.
"I think Ian and myself and all the other people who have fallen ill need to know what happened and what is being done to prevent this happening to others."
LADbible Group has contacted Riu Cabo Verde for comment.
Topics: World News, Travel, Health
James Moorhouse