A family holiday ended in heartbreak after holidaymakers were allegedly told to "take it or go home", when offered alternative arrangements after an issue with their booked room. The family had travelled to Pontins in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
Mum Lynsey Halliday had travelled for six hours from her home in Norris Green, Liverpool, to reach Brean Sands Pontins in Burnham-on-Sea. She had planned a holiday for herself, her son, her parents, brother and his daughter. However, after a disagreement over their rooms escalated, Lynsey told Liverpool Echo she could feel a Pontins manager's spit on her face during a row over their family break.
The 39-year-old said after arriving at the holiday park on Monday evening the family were told the eight-birth cabin they had booked was currently under maintenance and was not in use. After being asked to move into two smaller one-bed apartments Lyndsey realised they would not be suitable due to her disability. Lyndsey was diagnosed with chronic juvenile arthritis at the age of 14 and had major surgery to replace her knee in January.
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The new room would have required Lynsey to sleep on a sofa bed, something which, with her condition, she could not do. Speaking to the ECHO, Lynsey said: "I explained that I was disabled and my mum was disabled and was there nothing else they could offer us maybe something with two bedrooms."
"She went and spoke to her manager and came out and said 'my manager said you either take this or just go home'. I said 'pardon' I could not believe that she even suggested that.
"No apology no nothing. I asked her to go and get the manager because I didn't want him passing messages between us.
"She went in and started crying and the manager came out like a bulldog right into my face and said 'you've just made that girl cry'. I explained that I was sorry if she is upset but I just asked for the manager."
"He was so close to my face that when he spoke I could feel his spit on my face and it was really intimidating. I said 'we have driven all this way and you're telling us you either take this or go home'."
Lynsey said the manager then walked away from her and came back with a security guard where she was told her whole family was being 'evicted' from the holiday camp. She said that another family was being told to leave at the same time and in reception, there were numerous guests lodging complaints with members of staff.
Lyndsey, who had gone to the Brean Sands Pontins 30 years, said: "I imagine the staff must have had the day from hell with people complaining but when you book a holiday you expect everything to be right. It was a childhood holiday we had always been on.
"My son has struggled the most because his dad is not around he is very protective of me. He started trying to lash out and my mum had to hold his arms down.
"I had to take him out because he was just in a state. He was sat there clenching his firsts, shaking and balling his eyes out. When my brother and I were kids we grew up going there for two weeks at a time and now we wanted our kids to experience what we experienced, but they will not be able to."
The family are trying to make the best of their holiday and Lynsey said she had "cried all night" after leaving Pontins. She said they have stayed in two different hotels since Monday costing them £424 in addition to the £240 they forked out for their original rooms. She said: "After this, I would never book there again. Never".
Britannia Hotels have been approached for a comment but are yet to respond.
