A newlywed British couple claims their dream wedding on a picturesque island in Greece became a Greek tragedy when they were struck down by a nasty stomach bug. Debra and Christopher Cunliffe, from St Helens, Merseyside, said they and some of their family and friends suffered a bout of gastric illness while staying at the all-inclusive Lindos Princess Beach Hotel in Rhodes last May. The Cunliffes, who are now taking legal action, claim the hotel was dirty and they were served undercooked chicken during a package trip booked through tour operator Thomas Cook. Legal action: Christopher and Debra Cunliffe say their holiday was ruined when they and their guests fell ill . The bride and groom said their holiday, which doubled as their honeymoon, was ruined when they, their two young daughters - Jessica, five, and Megan, four - and some of their 20 guests, including family and friends, suffered diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps. Debra and Christopher Cunliffe are pictured on their wedding day with their daughters Jessica, 5, and Megan, 4 . Debra, a 31-year-old hospital housekeeper, said: ‘We really couldn’t wait to see all of our friends and family in Rhodes to celebrate our special day. 'All four of our immediate family, including our children, Jessica aged five and Megan aged four, fell very ill which completely ruined the entire day and the rest of our holiday. ‘To make matters worse, our guests spent a lot of their time in their hotel rooms as they began to suffer from similar symptoms and missed out on the celebrations. ‘The day after the wedding was Megan’s birthday but we could not celebrate this in the normal way that we would have liked. 'The holiday was also our honeymoon which was also ruined because of how unwell we were feeling.' Some family members had to seek medical assistance once they returned home from the four-star resort, the couple said. Debra added: ‘We were very disappointed with the conditions at the resort and the hygiene standards were in my opinion very poor.’ The Cunliffes have instructed travel lawyers with Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of their illness. The law firm said it has been approached by 15 other holidaymakers who claim they were served undercooked or lukewarm food in a cat-infested restaurant while staying at the resort on the Aegean Sea. The guests also claim the hotel’s swimming pool was ‘filthy’ and its public toilets were not clean. Jennifer Downing, a personal injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: ‘For Debra and Christopher, their holiday was supposed to be the best days of their lives as they got married, but instead they were unable to enjoy their special occasion with their loved ones because many of their guests were unable to join in throughout the celebrations.’ The Cunliffes say some family members had to seek medical assistance once they returned home . Holidaymakers claim they were served undercooked or lukewarm food at Lindos Princess Beach Hotel . In a statement, Thomas Cook said a ‘small number’ of hotel guests reported a stomach bug, usually lasting 24 to 48 hours, last May. The tour operator said: ‘Preliminary indications suggested that this was of a viral nature and as a precautionary measure Thomas Cook commissioned independent hygiene consultants to work with the hotel to ensure that the highest possible standards were being maintained.’ A Thomas Cook spokesperson said: ‘We know how important holidays are to our customers and how upsetting it can be when they fall ill while overseas. 'Our resort team offered guests in residence at the time their support, and our customer services team liaised closely with the Cunliffe party on their return to with a view to resolving their concerns directly. Nightmare: The Cunliffes claim they were served undercooked chicken and that hygiene was poor at the hotel . The Greek island of Rhodes lures tourists with its beaches, crystal clear waters and archaeological sites . ‘However, we have been approached by a no-win, no-fee lawyer that the Cunliffe party have chosen to act as their legal representative. 'While our investigation into the illness continues, we are unable to provide further comment so as not to unduly influence any potential legal proceedings. ‘We are confident that those due to stay at the Lindos Princess Beach Hotel will experience the excellent levels of quality and standards they would expect from Thomas Cook.’ The London-based company said the type of incident that the Cunliffes experienced is rare and it routinely undertakes independent third party audits to ensure the highest hygiene standards are met. MailOnline Travel has contacted Lindos Princess Beach Hotel for comment.
Debra and Christopher Cunliffe stayed at Lindos Princess Beach Hotel .
The Cunliffes, from St Helens, claim they were served undercooked chicken .
Some guests had to seek medical attention once they returned home .
Other holidaymakers have complained about 'filthy pool', cats in restaurant .
A newlywed British couple claims their dream wedding on a picturesque island in Greece became a Greek tragedy when they were struck down by a nasty stomach bug. Debra and Christopher Cunliffe, from St Helens, Merseyside, said they and some of their family and friends suffered a bout of gastric illness while staying at the all-inclusive Lindos Princess Beach Hotel in Rhodes last May. The Cunliffes, who are now taking legal action, claim the hotel was dirty and they were served undercooked chicken during a package trip booked through tour operator Thomas Cook. Legal action: Christopher and Debra Cunliffe say their holiday was ruined when they and their guests fell ill . The bride and groom said their holiday, which doubled as their honeymoon, was ruined when they, their two young daughters - Jessica, five, and Megan, four - and some of their 20 guests, including family and friends, suffered diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps. Debra and Christopher Cunliffe are pictured on their wedding day with their daughters Jessica, 5, and Megan, 4 . Debra, a 31-year-old hospital housekeeper, said: ‘We really couldn’t wait to see all of our friends and family in Rhodes to celebrate our special day. 'All four of our immediate family, including our children, Jessica aged five and Megan aged four, fell very ill which completely ruined the entire day and the rest of our holiday. ‘To make matters worse, our guests spent a lot of their time in their hotel rooms as they began to suffer from similar symptoms and missed out on the celebrations. ‘The day after the wedding was Megan’s birthday but we could not celebrate this in the normal way that we would have liked. 'The holiday was also our honeymoon which was also ruined because of how unwell we were feeling.' Some family members had to seek medical assistance once they returned home from the four-star resort, the couple said. Debra added: ‘We were very disappointed with the conditions at the resort and the hygiene standards were in my opinion very poor.’ The Cunliffes have instructed travel lawyers with Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of their illness. The law firm said it has been approached by 15 other holidaymakers who claim they were served undercooked or lukewarm food in a cat-infested restaurant while staying at the resort on the Aegean Sea. The guests also claim the hotel’s swimming pool was ‘filthy’ and its public toilets were not clean. Jennifer Downing, a personal injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: ‘For Debra and Christopher, their holiday was supposed to be the best days of their lives as they got married, but instead they were unable to enjoy their special occasion with their loved ones because many of their guests were unable to join in throughout the celebrations.’ The Cunliffes say some family members had to seek medical assistance once they returned home . Holidaymakers claim they were served undercooked or lukewarm food at Lindos Princess Beach Hotel . In a statement, Thomas Cook said a ‘small number’ of hotel guests reported a stomach bug, usually lasting 24 to 48 hours, last May. The tour operator said: ‘Preliminary indications suggested that this was of a viral nature and as a precautionary measure Thomas Cook commissioned independent hygiene consultants to work with the hotel to ensure that the highest possible standards were being maintained.’ A Thomas Cook spokesperson said: ‘We know how important holidays are to our customers and how upsetting it can be when they fall ill while overseas. 'Our resort team offered guests in residence at the time their support, and our customer services team liaised closely with the Cunliffe party on their return to with a view to resolving their concerns directly. Nightmare: The Cunliffes claim they were served undercooked chicken and that hygiene was poor at the hotel . The Greek island of Rhodes lures tourists with its beaches, crystal clear waters and archaeological sites . ‘However, we have been approached by a no-win, no-fee lawyer that the Cunliffe party have chosen to act as their legal representative. 'While our investigation into the illness continues, we are unable to provide further comment so as not to unduly influence any potential legal proceedings. ‘We are confident that those due to stay at the Lindos Princess Beach Hotel will experience the excellent levels of quality and standards they would expect from Thomas Cook.’ The London-based company said the type of incident that the Cunliffes experienced is rare and it routinely undertakes independent third party audits to ensure the highest hygiene standards are met. MailOnline Travel has contacted Lindos Princess Beach Hotel for comment.
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