Half marathon holiday 'ruined' by food poisoning

Nicky Putman booked a trip to Mallorca to take part in the TUI Palma Marathon on 19 October

A runner who trained for eight months to complete a half marathon abroad has said her holiday was "ruined" when she was unable to take part due to food poisoning.

Nicky Putman, from Plymouth, booked a Tui sports package holiday for herself and a friend to run the Palma Half Marathon in Mallorca in October, but during her stay she said she became ill and collapsed in the hotel lobby.

She said she was taken to hospital and put on an intravenous drip for two days after eating in the hotel.

Tui said it was "very sorry" to hear Ms Putman fell ill and said its legal team was reviewing the case.

Nicky Putman said the trip was her third race holiday with the company, with the previous two being "great experiences"

Ms Putman said: "The whole holiday was ruined.

"The whole purpose of the trip was to run the half marathon, that was the reason my friend and I had trained for this."

She said after she collapsed, she had to insist on a visit from a local doctor who later booked an ambulance to take her to hospital.

Ms Putman, who said she also cut her head in the fall, said Tui did not show "any regard for me or my wellbeing whatsoever".

The BBC has seen medical records from the hospital in Mallorca and her doctor in the UK which confirm the cause of the illness was a "foodborne infection".

Ms Putman said the poisoning made her feel "poorly and weak"

Ms Putman said it was her third sporting holiday with Tui and she "expected better".

"Nobody in the company is taking any responsibility or accountability and I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere," she continued.

"It's a real shame."

She said felt very "let down" describing it as "an ordeal more than a break".

Tui said due to the ongoing investigation it was unable to comment further but said its "priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience which is why we were very sorry to hear Ms Putman fell ill during her time in Mallorca".

"We would like to reassure customers that their health and safety remain our number one priority, and we work closely with all our hotel partners to maintain the highest standards of hygiene and food safety," it added.