hand foot mouth disease kid
© Naomi AshmoreNaomi Ashmore and Thomas Morrisons youngsters were covered in horrific rashes during a hotel hand, foot and mouth outbreak.
A family's £3,500 holiday turned to a nightmare when their kids were struck down with hand, foot and mouth disease and confined to their rooms for six days.

Outraged Naomi Ashmore and Thomas Morrison have said they were not told about an outbreak at their resort, despite Trip Advisor users reporting youngsters falling ill since mid-July.

Shocking pictures show the blistering rashes that covered the bodies of the couple's children, Carter, two, and Eyla, one, four days into their stay at Thomson's Protur Safari Park Aparthotel.

Naomi, 27, said: "It went from head to toe and looked like measles."

The retail worker claimed a notice had been put in the lift reporting "a small outbreak" on August 24, their second day at the resort, but said they were not told before they travelled or during their welcome meeting.

Naomi said: "If I had of known I would seriously have thought twice about bringing my children there. Once I saw the state my children were in - it's awful.

"We were in the airport yesterday and there's people staring at our children - they did not want to come near us.

"Children that young should not be room-bound and made to feel like they are diseased."

Reviews on Trip Advisor suggest kids have been catching the illness at the Spanish hotel for at least a month.

One July review states: "Arrived at the hotel to be told that there were some isolated cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. I felt we should have been told by Thomson before we arrived.

"My son contracted the virus there and when we got home was covered in sores and blisters."

Another July review states: "My daughter contracted hand, foot and mouth disease. She didn't get it from home and she was very ill.

"We stayed in our hotel room for three days as she couldn't walk she was in so much pain."

A third said: "My poor son was so poorly bless him. Just please be careful if you are going anytime soon."
tripadvisor review
More tourists have complained about their experiences on Trip Advisor.
Naomi added: "I would have thought a duty of care would have seen us told about the outbreak.

"The place needs to be closed for a good fortnight to completely fumigate it.

"It's not just me, it's everybody else."

She added: "Me and my partner both work. There were weeks we had to work all days to pay the holiday off and we were all looking forward to it.

"We were having a good time up to the Saturday and from the Saturday on, it was a nightmare."

The youngsters were told by doctors they could not fly and the family had to moved to a second hotel for two days before they finally arrived home in Northern Ireland yesterday, which reps reportedly told them was an insurance matter.

A Thomson and First Choice spokesperson said: "We are really sorry to hear of the Ashmore and Morrison family's experience at the Protur Safari Park hotel. Hand, foot and mouth is a common illness which can occur in any situation, whether at home or on holiday, and although often mistaken for being so has no link to Foot and Mouth disease.

"As a precautionary measure as soon as we were made aware of the small number of cases at this hotel, we implemented additional health and safety procedures to contain the possible spread of infection.

"We continue to monitor the situation very closely as part of regularly auditing all of the hotels we feature in respect of health and safety, including hygiene.

"Since returning home the family are yet to make contact with us about their experience, but we would encourage them to do so in order for us to look in to the matter further."