TUI sued for £5m over fatal stomach bug outbreak at holiday hotspot

The widower of Jane Pressley is among hundreds of travellers seeking compensation

Travel company TUI is facing a lawsuit seeking over £5m in compensation from approximately 300 holidaymakers.

The claims allege that severe tummy bugs were contracted at the 5-star Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel in Cape Verde during 2022.

The widower of holidaymaker Jane Pressley, who died weeks after falling ill, is among those seeking compensation.

Claimants attribute the illnesses to issues such as improperly prepared food and drink, unhygienic swimming facilities, stray dogs, and cockroaches.

The High Court case will proceed to a six-week trial scheduled for the end of next year, following its initial hearing last week.

According to legal documents put forward as part of the action, the claims could result in compensation payouts worth more than £5m.

The group action – which is being defended by TUI – is part of a series of claims brought through lawyers Irwin Mitchell following an explosion in gastric problems among tourists in the African islands.

According to lawyers, more than 1,500 tourists fell ill after booking holidays in Cape Verde, an idyllic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean.

Of those, six went on to die, including Ms Pressley, with their families proceeding with damage claims against tour operators after their loved ones' deaths.

The claims cover several Cape Verde hotels, but those involving the all-inclusive TUI-run Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel were the first to reach court for a pre-trial hearing last week.

The resort is built on the edge of the beach on the island of Sal, in Cape Verde, and features a waterpark, six swimming pools, a spa and several restaurants.

According to documents placed before the court, the 300 tourists involved are suing for upwards of £5m, all having fallen ill during or after stays at the hotel during 2022.

Michael Pressley with his wife, Jane, who died in 2023 (Champion News)

Infections increased through the summer, before peaking in October, when the holidaymakers’ lawyers say 110 people all became ill with gastric problems.

“The claimants were all staying at the hotel on an all-inclusive basis, so that they all ate and drank exclusively – or in some cases predominantly – at the hotel during their time in Cape Verde before they became ill,” they said in claim documents.

“Each of the claimants became ill with symptoms of gastric illness either during their stay at the hotel or shortly after their departure from the hotel.

“Each claimant claims damages for personal injury in respect of that illness, which each claimant will say was contracted at the hotel.”

As well as complaining of undercooked food and dirty swimming pool water, the holidaymakers claim their rooms at the hotel [were] “unsanitary, infested with pests such as cockroaches, and/or otherwise not reasonably clean,” and say there were “numerous stray dogs ... present on the hotel’s private beach” which was “littered with dog mess”.

One of the claimants is Michael Pressley, the widower of Gainsborough mum-of-two Jane Pressley, who died, aged 62, in January 2023, weeks after falling ill on holiday.

Two days into her holiday, Ms Pressley fell ill with gastric and flu-like symptoms, her lawyers say, with her condition worsening on her return to the UK.

Jane Pressley pictured in hospital, just days before her death (Champion News)

She was hospitalised on Christmas Eve, with doctors suspecting a bacterial infection and prescribing antibiotics. She died a few days later in January 2023.

The lead claimant in the Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel case is Nicky Morley, from Paignton, Devon, who stayed at the resort in May 2022 and became ill, suffering with diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain, only a day into her holiday.

She ended up at a hospital in Cape Verde, where she was given intravenous fluids and medication, but has continued to suffer gastric issues since, losing more than four stone in weight.

“Since the holiday, I’ve struggled to socialise or eat out with friends as I’m anxious about my bowel issues,” she said in a statement. “My whole life has been affected.”

During last week's hearing, Master Gidden said the case should proceed by way of consideration of 30 lead claimants, the decisions on which will dictate the fate of all the others.

“It should be a sample of cases – some simple, some complex, but they should be representative, including some with continuing symptoms,” he said.

For the holidaymakers, barrister Stephen Cottrell said the 30 would give evidence at the trial about “what they ate, what they drank and what the swimming pool was like”.

Nicky Morley has been left with ongoing stomach issues after falling ill during her Cape Verde trip (Champion News)

He said three of the 300 have “ongoing chronic fatigue syndrome”, some have respiratory problems and one more had a stroke – “very, very nasty conditions”.

After a short hearing, which was conducted via a video link, the judge ordered a six-week trial to take place towards the end of next year.

Jatinder Paul, international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “For several years, we’ve had numerous holidaymakers instructing us to investigate serious illnesses linked to stays in Cape Verde.

“This is the first group action to go before the courts and therefore a major milestone in our clients’ quest for answers. Those holidaymakers in this group action suffered serious and debilitating illnesses.

“The impact of serious gastric illnesses should never be downplayed. They can lead to long-term health complications, and in some cases, can even prove fatal.”

TUI is denying liability.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning over travel to Cape Verde.

Since 1 October 2025, the agency has identified 118 cases of shigella and 43 of salmonella linked to trips to the West African archipelago.

People travelling to Cape Verde are now advised to eat food that is freshly prepared, fully cooked and served piping hot, use bottled or boiled water and avoid ice in drinks, only eat fruit you’ve peeled themselves and avoid salads that may not have been washed in clean water.