The deaths of four British holidaymakers following severe gastric illnesses contracted during trips to Cape Verde have triggered a major legal challenge that is now drawing intense scrutiny over hygiene standards at some of the country’s most popular resorts. The families of Elena Walsh, Mark Ashley, Karen Pooley and a 56-year-old man say their loved ones left the UK expecting routine package holidays and instead returned gravely ill, with fatal consequences.
Their cases form part of a wider pattern identified by solicitors, who say at least six British citizens have died since 2023 after suffering stomach-related illnesses linked to visits to the islands. As legal action gathers momentum, the allegations raise serious questions about food safety, sanitation, medical response, and the responsibilities of tour operators selling holidays to Cape Verde.
The four deaths occurred within a four-month period in 2025, each involving travellers who developed acute gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and extreme weakness. In every case, families describe sudden and violent illness during what were meant to be relaxing breaks at large, all-inclusive resorts.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell, representing the families, says it is also acting for more than 1,500 other holidaymakers who fell ill after visiting Cape Verde, many reporting similar symptoms and alleged hygiene failures. Together, the claims suggest not isolated incidents, but a sustained and unresolved public health problem affecting multiple resorts over several years.
The legal claims are being pursued primarily against Tui, which provided many of the package holidays involved. While investigations continue, the cases have intensified pressure on tour operators to demonstrate that they are properly monitoring conditions at overseas hotels and responding effectively to repeated reports of illness among customers.
A Pattern of Illness and Tragedy Across Popular Resorts
Mark Ashley, a 55-year-old self-employed forklift truck driver from Bedfordshire, travelled to Cape Verde with his wife Emma in October 2025. The couple had booked a £3,000 package holiday through Tui and were staying at the five-star Riu Palace Santa Maria resort on the island of Sal. Three days into the trip, Mr Ashley developed severe stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and profound lethargy. According to his wife, the illness was sudden and overwhelming, leaving him barely able to function.
Mrs Ashley reported her husband’s condition through the Tui app on 9 October and later raised concerns about hygiene at the hotel. Despite returning home to the UK, Mr Ashley’s symptoms did not resolve. He collapsed at his home in Houghton Regis on 12 November and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead minutes later. He was a father of two and managed diabetes with medication. His death has since been referred to the coroner, with his family still awaiting definitive answers.
Elena Walsh, a 64-year-old part-time nurse from Birmingham and a mother of one, died in August 2025 after falling ill during a stay at the Riu Cabo Verde resort, also on Sal. Her family says she became unwell with gastric symptoms while on holiday and deteriorated rapidly. Despite her medical background, she was unable to recover from the illness she contracted, adding to concerns about the severity of the infections reported by holidaymakers.
Karen Pooley, 64, from Lydney in Gloucestershire, travelled to Cape Verde with a friend on 7 October 2025 for a two-week holiday booked through Tui. They stayed at the Riu Funana resort, again on Sal. Ms Pooley, a retired mother of two, became ill on 11 October with diarrhoea and other gastric symptoms. In the early hours of the following morning, she slipped on water leaking from a fridge while trying to reach the bathroom, fracturing her femur.
She was taken to a local clinic, where her condition worsened. Alongside the fractured leg, she continued to suffer from diarrhoea, vomiting and significant pain. On 16 October, she was airlifted to Tenerife for urgent medical treatment but died the next morning. Her initial death certificate listed multi-organ failure, sepsis, cardio-respiratory arrest and a broken left leg. Her husband Andy described seeing his wife in “significant distress” during video calls and said communication from both the clinic and the holiday provider was poor as her condition deteriorated.
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The fourth death involved a 56-year-old British man who also succumbed to a severe gastric illness after visiting Cape Verde in 2025. While fewer details have been made public, his case follows the same pattern described by other families: sudden illness during a holiday, rapid decline, and fatal outcomes.
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These four deaths are part of a broader timeline that includes Jane Pressley, 62, from Gainsborough, who died in January 2023 after falling ill at the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria, Sal, the previous November, and a man in his 60s from Watford who died in November 2024 after suffering a gastric illness following a trip to the islands. All six cases are now being examined together by Irwin Mitchell as it investigates potential links between resort conditions, food hygiene practices and the illnesses reported.
Legal Claims, Alleged Hygiene Failures and the Role of Tour Operators
At the centre of the legal action is the question of responsibility. Families argue that tour operators selling package holidays have a duty to ensure that accommodation and catering standards meet acceptable levels and that repeated reports of illness are addressed promptly and effectively. According to Irwin Mitchell, many clients have described longstanding hygiene issues at the same resorts, including poor food handling practices, inadequate sanitation and unsanitary dining environments.
Jatinder Paul, a serious injury lawyer at the firm, has described the scale of illness among holidaymakers to Cape Verde as unprecedented in his experience. He has pointed to what he characterises as repeated and continued outbreaks at the same resorts over an extended period, raising concerns that known risks were not adequately mitigated. From a legal standpoint, the claims will focus on whether tour operators failed to act on warning signs, failed to carry out proper inspections, or continued to send customers to resorts where serious health risks were allegedly present.
The families of the deceased are pursuing personal injury claims for damages against Tui, arguing that the illnesses their relatives contracted were foreseeable and preventable. Such claims typically examine whether the holiday sold was as described, whether reasonable care was taken to ensure safety, and whether there was a breach of duty that directly contributed to injury or death. In cases involving fatal outcomes, claims may also seek compensation for dependency, bereavement and the pain and suffering experienced before death.
Tui has been contacted for comment in relation to the cases. The outcome of the legal action could have significant implications for how tour operators monitor overseas resorts and respond to clusters of illness reports. It may also influence future guidance for travellers, particularly those with underlying health conditions who could be more vulnerable to severe complications from gastric infections.
Wider Implications for Cape Verde Tourism and Ongoing Investigations
Beyond the individual tragedies, the cases have cast a shadow over Cape Verde’s reputation as a safe and desirable holiday destination for British tourists. The islands have grown in popularity over the past decade, particularly for all-inclusive resort holidays. However, the accumulation of serious illness reports and deaths linked to stomach bugs has prompted renewed scrutiny from legal experts and consumer advocates.
Irwin Mitchell’s involvement on behalf of more than 1,500 people who fell ill after visiting Cape Verde suggests that the issue extends far beyond a handful of isolated cases. Many of these clients reportedly experienced symptoms consistent with severe food poisoning or gastrointestinal infection, sometimes requiring medical treatment both abroad and after returning to the UK. While not all cases resulted in long-term harm, the sheer volume of complaints strengthens arguments that systemic problems may exist.
Investigations are ongoing, including coronial inquiries in the UK, which may shed further light on the precise causes of death and any contributing factors. Establishing definitive links between specific pathogens, resort conditions and individual fatalities can be complex, particularly when illness occurs abroad and medical records span multiple jurisdictions. Nevertheless, families say they are determined to pursue answers and accountability.
For the relatives of those who died, the legal battle is about more than compensation. They describe a need to understand how routine holidays ended in loss and to prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies. As the cases progress, they are likely to prompt broader discussions about international tourism standards, the monitoring of overseas hotels by UK-based companies, and the mechanisms available to protect travellers when things go catastrophically wrong.