The family of a teenager with severe peanut allergies who died after eating a dessert on holiday is taking legal action against a travel company. Idris Qayyum, 19, suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction after eating a snack in Antalya, Turkey – despite being assured by staff it didn’t contain peanuts.
Having reacted to the dessert on the first evening of a seven-day holiday he went to his hotel room to administer his Epi-Pen. Sadly, Mr Qayyum, from West London, died in the early hours of the morning. His devastated family are now taking legal action against Love Holidays, the operator that organised the trip to southern Türkiye in June this year.
They say their beloved son would still be here today had Love Holidays and their suppliers been properly trained and not misled him by convincing him the dessert didn’t contain nuts. “Our lives have been shattered forever,” Mr Qayyum’s mother, Ayeshah Bhatia, said. “To lose our son aged 19 is the worst tragedy any family could face.
“To lose him in circumstances where we were not able to be there to help him is very hard to bear. To lose him knowing that he had made every effort to protect himself from a harm to which he knew he was vulnerable is even worse.
“We believe Love Holidays should have done more to keep Idris safe and that is why, for his sake and for the sake of others with food allergies, we are taking this legal action. Tour operators must do more to ensure the hotels where they accommodate their guests are safe for people with food allergies.”
Late in the first evening of Mr Qayyum’s trip, lawyers claim he and a friend had headed to the rooftop terrace of the Marti Myra Hotel, where drinks and dessert platters were being served to guests. It is said Mr Qayyum, knowledgeable of his allergies and having suffered previous reactions, made it “very clear” to staff serving snacks that he had a severe peanut allergy.
He was assured by a waiter that the dessert did not contain peanuts but used Google Translate to double-check in Turkish and ensure staff understood, his family say. Having received sufficient assurances Mr Qayyum ate the desserts – but immediately felt unwell. Recognising his symptoms from previous reactions he rushed to his hotel room and administered his Epi-Pen.
However, tragically, Mr Qayyum died in his hotel room in the early hours of the morning. In light of their horrific experience, Mr Qayyum’s family are urging travel companies to do more to ensure that hotels they work with do more to protect guests with severe food allergies.
The travel claims team at Leigh Day allege that Love Holidays, based in Hammersmith in west London, is liable for negligence claims on the part of its suppliers. The firm alleges that the holiday operator and their suppliers provided incorrect information about food allergens and misled Mr Qayyum as to the contents of the food he was served – which staff should have known would have been harmful to him.
It’s also alleged they failed to provide adequate allergy training to staff, implement measures to avoid cross-contamination of food and administer medical care to Mr Qayyum following his reaction. Colin Murphy, the Leigh Day solicitor representing Mr Qayyum’s family, said: “We are supporting Idris’ family in a legal claim against Love Holidays.
“The loss of their son while on holiday in Turkey has been devastating. Holidaymakers should be able to go on holiday safe in the knowledge that measures will be taken by hotels that work with UK tour operators to protect them in case of food allergies.”
A spokesperson for Love Holidays said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of Mr Qayyum’s passing and would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. The safety of our customers is our top priority and we are conducting a thorough investigation with the hotel involved as a matter of urgency.
“As Mr Qayyum’s family have now instructed lawyers, we are unable to provide any further comment.”