A FAMILY from Radcliffe are among 50 holidaymakers suing a travel firm after their summer holiday was wrecked by illness.

The Montgomery family, of Meadowcroft, who were staying at the Sunflower Hotel in Kremasti, Rhodes, were struck down with severe stomach complaints and symptoms of sickness, diarrhoea and stomach cramps

Mr Kenneth Montgomery (43), who stayed at the Sunflower Hotel for two weeks in July, with his wife Angela and children Sarah and Katie said: "The food at the hotel was disgusting and was not heated properly. It was blatantly obvious that it had been recycled and the restaurant was full of flies.

"As a result, my wife and daughter were both taken ill. The rooms were filthy and smelled of what I can only describe as raw sewage.

"Our daughters' room had a bird's nest in the bathroom and the bedding was full of fleas. The pool area was dangerous and the gym was a death trap."

Having booked their holiday with Imperial Travel, the family is pursuing a claim for compensation with the law firm, Irwin Mitchell solicitors, which specialises in legal cases involving overseas accidents and illness.

Legal partner Suki Chhokar said: "We have been contacted by more than 50 holidaymakers, all of whom stayed at the Sunflower Hotel in Rhodes. We are expecting inquiries from others, as it seems there has been a widespread problem with the hotel in recent months.

"It is a great shame when so many people have had their holidays ruined by illness due to tour operators neglecting to ensure that hotels where they are sending customers are kept to a satisfactory standard."

But Imperial Travel say they have made it clear that they did not send all 50 parties to the hotel.

A spokesman said: "As a travel agency we would not be responsible for the standard of the hotels.

"We might have sent about two of these families to the hotel, but it definitely wasn't 50."