A British family were left horrified after going on holiday to find mould and rust in bathroom, insects in the fridge and apparent faeces on the living room wall.
Wanting a cheap summer break Kirsty Smith, 37, from West Yorkshire, and her partner Kayleigh Eastwood, 33, booked a weekend stay at Pontins Southport Resort.
But after checking in with their two daughters, both nine, they were left ‘distraught’ – comparing the holiday accommodation to ‘something out of a horror movie’.
The couple claim they were left with no choice but to take their children home after being moved to a second room that was no better.
Kayleigh (left) and Kirsty (right) booked the holiday knowing it would be ‘no frills’ but thinking it would at least be clean and safe
The radiator in the accommodation was covered in these filthy marks and stains – disgusting the family and those on social media
The walls and ceilings (pictured above) were peeling, filthy and covered in mould and other dubious substances
Mouldy taps: The couple have described their stay and accommodation as akin to ‘something out of a horror film’
Now a video of their trip has gone viral, racking up two million views.
In the video, Kirsty shows images from the holiday accommodation, leaving social media users horrified.
The mum claims the room had insects in the fridge, a bathtub covered in mould and other guests’ hair as well as what she believes to be faeces on the living room wall.
She said: ‘The room itself was an absolute disgrace and not fit for any human or even animal to be put in there and expected to stay.
‘When we first saw the room, we were absolutely disgusted and disappointed, it was something out of a horror movie.
‘We felt really bad as parents for our daughters, as we had promised them a weekend away and turned up to that.
‘The girls were distraught and disgusted, and the room was in disrepair, full of black mould and grotty.
‘It was unhygienic and, as an electrician, I could see the space was not electrically safe to be let with the panel heaters not PAT-tested.
‘I also believe there was a fire risk due to the amount of dust the radiator had collected, not to mention the rust.’
The couple were looking forward to a summer break with their two children, aged nine, who were left distraught by the state of their room
The edge of the bath (pictured) was rusted and corroded, making the bathroom look old and grotty
The windows were also in a bad state, with gaps filled in with makeshift materials to stop drafts coming in
The smoke alarm was also hanging off the ceiling and not properly fitted, leading Kirsty to conclude the property was unsafe
Kirsty said the testing of the electrics was out of date, meaning the property was not safe or legal to be let out
The family complained to reception and were offered a different room, which they accepted.
However, the second room turned out to be ‘just as bad’, they claimed.
Kirsty requested a refund but claims she was told this would not be possible on-site and she would need to email a complaint instead – leaving the family with no choice but to head back home.
‘We left the site and drove home and spent the entire weekend making it up to the girls with fun days out to Blackpool, Cadbury’s World and the cinema,’ Kirsty said.
After sharing her shocking experience on TikTok, users flocked to the comments section to express their shock at the state of the room.
‘I genuinely struggled to watch this all the way through, you’re a hero for even setting foot in there,’ wrote one user.
‘I think Pontins are just dragging out the last few years before they close forever,’ added someone else.
People commented on Kirsty’s video to express their shock at the state of the Pontins room, calling Kirsty a ‘hero’ for being brave enough to walk into the room
Another person said: ‘I’d rather sleep at the back of Tesco in a skip.’
‘The coat hanger in the fridge seriously killed me,’ another laughed.
But one person wrote: ‘Everyone knows Pontins is like this, so why do people complain when they get there?’
Kirsty said she usually opts for holidays at the Haven sites but booked Pontins due to availability during school holidays.
She added: ‘We thought we would try somewhere totally different to just get the girls away for a weekend of fun.
‘We understand it is a basic no-frills holiday camp but we did expect it to be clean, liveable and safe.
‘For anyone who is considering going there I advise against it.
‘Go to Haven or buy a tent and go camping, it will be cleaner and safer.’
Pontins have been contacted for a comment.