A TRIP to Butlins turned into the holiday from hell for a Dorset family after they all came down with a virulent tummy bug.

Single mum Tracy Keeping had been saving for months to take her children Rebekah, 14, and Callum, 12, away for a week-long break.

Tracy's mother, June Dixon, also decided to keep them company on the trip to Bognor Regis in West Sussex.

On the morning of their departure day, June's husband heard something on the radio about an outbreak of norovirus at the centre.

Tracy telephoned Butlins but claims she was told only one family had been affected.

June, of Parkstone in Poole, said: "We arrived on Friday afternoon and my daughter went down with the bug on Saturday night.

"I went to reception to report it on Sunday, but they didn't want to know.

"My grandson went down with it on Monday and myself and my granddaughter on Monday night.

"By Tuesday, we'd all had enough and said we wanted to go home. It ruined our holiday.

"One of the security staff told us that the week before, 500 guests had been ill and 100 staff were still down with the bug, yet they were letting people go in.

"Everyone was supposed to have had a letter in their chalets, but we didn't."

June said Tracy had been assured that the £442 cost of the holiday would be refunded, but she is still waiting for the money.

"She had saved really hard to pay for it and it was the children's first Butlins holiday," explained June.

"She couldn't afford to take them anywhere during the summer holidays because it's so expensive."

A spokeswoman for Butlins said: "They are going to be paid a full refund, but it's taking time to process.

"We apologise for any inconvenience.

"The family should have been informed. They should have had a letter. We don't know why it was they didn't. We can't look into everyone's specific case."

The outbreak of norovirus was officially said to have hit 110 staff and visitors, with cases peaking on September 20, the day before the family's arrival.