IT was meant to be a relaxing break in the sun at a luxurious four-star hotel in the Canary Islands.

But the Rushforth family holiday turned into a “complete nightmare” after their two young sons were struck down with severe food poisoning at a Lanzarote hotel.

Mum Jackie, from Mirfield, told how seven-year-old Oliver spent most of the vacation in the apartment with high temperatures, sickness and diarrhoea that lasted for nine days.

Doctors later confirmed the Crowlees Junior School pupil had two forms of food poisoning which were contracted from two separate meals.

Youngest son Oscar, 4, who goes to Trinity Children’s Centre nursery, fell ill with the same symptoms just days later.

Jackie believes her children caught the infections by eating burgers, pasta and hot dogs from the snack bar next to the Hotetur Lanzarote Bay hotel swimming pool.

She said environmental health officers have informed her that the incubation period points to the hotel as being the culprit.

The police officer said: “Oliver had salmonella and campylobacter.

“I’m really, really upset and angry about it – it was a nightmare.

“We’re taking legal action against the holiday company Sunmaster in Halifax for other people’s sake really.

“If a baby or an elderly person had contracted the same thing it could have been fatal.”

Law firm Irwin Mitchell, who are representing the family, said they are urging The Global Travel Group Plc, which owns Sunmaster, to review the hygiene standards at the hotel and compensate the family.

Meanwhile, Jackie said her two boys are still suffering from bouts of sickness and diarrhoea and have had days off school since getting back from the week’s holiday on May 25.

The 39-year-old said: “It was awful because they are so young and there’s nothing you can do.

“You’re trying to get them to drink something and they’re just throwing it back up again.

“And the same when you try and get them to eat something. After what happened Oliver has been really worried about eating out.

“He’s not touching any of the food he used to love like burgers and hot dogs.”

The worried mum says she’s nervously waiting for further tests to say the boys have the all-clear.

She said: “We have to go back to see if they are clear but it can have long-term effects like irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue and bouts of diarrhoea.”

A spokesman for the holiday company declined to comment.