Jet2Holidays: CCTV of steam room door shattering on youngsters on Turkish holiday clinches case against tour operator

CCTV of an exploding steam room door which injured two boys from Harrogate who were on holiday in Turkey, has helped clinch a damages case against Jet2Holidays.

The firm agreed to pay £7,000 after the father of the boys, then aged 16 and 11, finally got hold of CCTV showing the incident happening at the Green Nature Diamond Hotel in Marmaris.

The father, who didn’t want to be named, said they were in their hotel room when the eldest came in limping, having cut his feet leaving the spa.

“‘When we got down there it just looked (like) carnage. The door had exploded and there were blood and glass all other the place.

“Luckily, there was a doctor on site, and he managed to patch them up, but I wanted answers and the manager was nowhere to be seen.

"There were no apologies, no nothing.”

The boys had cuts including on their legs, arms and feet.

He said the receptionist had been unwilling to hand over a USB stick with footage of the incident, and when he called the British Embassy, a woman jumped in the taxi to come and pick it up.

However the hotel wouldn’t hand it over without police being present.

He said the woman came back with a police officer “and they still wouldn’t hand it over.

“So, I did a bit of research and, based on GDPR (general data protection regulation), I told them it was my data, it was my children and there was no-one else in the footage, so you need to send it to us.

“Eventually it arrived, but it came after 10 months of pushing and pushing and pushing.

“I’m glad it did, though, because I’m 100 per cent certain that massively helped us in the process.”

Lawyers acting on behalf of Jet2Holidays initially denied any liability for the accident and injuries caused.

However Hudgell Solicitors, who are acting for the family, said when the father finally obtained CCTV showing the glass shattering onto them, Jet2Holidays' legal representatives “softened their stance” and agreed to a combined compensation package of £7,000.

The incident happened Sept 2022, but the youngest son’s claim was only settled last month at Harrogate County Court as he is under 18.

Anne Thomson, a senior litigation executive at Hudgells described the hotel’s decision not to surrender the footage for so long as "baffling”.

Jet2Holidays have been approached for comment.