Family call for Haven to ‘burn’ caravan after bug infestation

Harley Smith and Clint Parkhouse had booked to stay at Littlesea Haven Holiday Park in Weymouth, Dorset, for four nights in September using a £500 Family Fund voucher - but left after only one night.

Horrifying footage shows their caravan swarming with bugs - which she believes included mosquitos, flies and wasps - on the first night, covering their bedding and swarming around their lights.

When they checked into their caravan everything seemed fine, but a few hours later as Harley began to tidy up the caravan while her husband was at the evening entertainment with her two eldest, she noticed a few bugs flying around.

Horrifying footage shows their caravan swarming with bugs (Image: Kennedy News and Media)

The 33-year-old describes how she opened the door and tried to shoo them out before closing it again, but a few minutes later her son noticed there were 'hundreds' of flies buzzing around the living room.

After speaking to staff at the park, Harley says she was offered a budget caravan for the rest of her stay but decided she would rather travel home that evening as the trip was 'ruined'.

She claimed she informed staff they needed to 'set the caravan on fire' thanks to the infestation and the family drove through the night to get home rather than stay another minute.

Haven apologised that the accommodation 'didn't meet their usual high standards of cleanliness' and said they had issued a full refund.

Harley, from Barnstaple, Devon, said: "I literally told them that they needed to set that caravan on fire. That was the only way that I could describe how bad it was. That caravan needed to be set alight.

"I noticed there was a few things flying around, I didn't think anything of it so I opened the door to try and get them out.

"I went into my bedroom to try and unpack some stuff and my son had come in and gone, 'mum, there's loads of flies buzzing around the front room.'

"I'd gone in there and there was literally hundreds flying around.

"Within about 20 minutes literally the whole caravan was mired. There was thousands. I rang my husband and told him to come back from the entertainment, which he did.

"I was getting covered in bites, my children were getting covered in bites, my husband [too].

"I moved the cushions on the sofa so I'm not entirely sure whether the infestation had been disturbed from me moving the sofa and tidying the cushion covers up or what.

"I'm not entirely sure what had gone on but they were coming through the vents. They were coming through anywhere and everywhere I should imagine they were coming from but within the space of an hour it went from a couple to thousands and thousands in there."

After ringing the out of hours number, security reportedly told her they were busy, so she went to the main entrance and spoke with staff who told her they would look for an alternative caravan.

Harley then went with her family to collect their things from the caravan only to find it totally covered in insects.

Harley said: "We went back up to the caravan and we couldn't even see the walls, we couldn't see the bedding.

"The blinds were completely black, it was literally all the walls, the floors, the blinds, the sink, the table. Absolutely everything in there was black which was covered in flies.

"All our stuff literally was mired in it, we had to take it all off. We were covered in bites trying to get in and out of there.

"That's how bad the infestation had gotten. It had gone from a couple to literally thousands and thousands in there and I was surprised the cleaner would want to go in there the next day with how bad it was.

"I think there was a nest or something. Honestly I don't know. I can't even explain what we actually saw to be honest like I've never seen anything like that before in my life.

"It was fine when we got in there and I couldn't have complained about nothing at all but come the evening when I decided I was going to tidy up.

"I don't know if I disturbed something under the sofa or when I turned the taps on. I don't know what actually went on but to go from a couple to thousands."

When she returned to the main entrance of the park, Harley said the staff offered her a budget two-bedroom caravan that only slept three people, or two caravans on different sides of the park, despite the fact she had booked a 'silver' grade caravan.

She decided to cut her holiday short and drove home that evening, not getting home until 1am.

Harley said she has also lost out on around £100 she spent on day trips she had planned for her children that she could not refund.

Harley said: "I have two autistic children on holiday with us as well so for them, they were really looking forward to the holiday and then it changed that we had to come back home, which wasn't ideal at all.

"They offered us two separate caravans and I said no. I said we've come down for a family holiday not to spend our holiday in two separate caravans and a budget caravan as well. I paid for a Silver caravan not a budget.

"They should be having extra caravans on standby for things like this.

"They said that the caravans they had weren't even next to each other either so one of the caravans was on one side of the holiday park and one of them was on the other, which is not ideal at all.

"I am disappointed and I'm really upset because my kids were really looking forward to this holiday and it's been ruined and now I don't trust Haven at all.

"They refused to give us anything and all they could do was say they were sorry which I don't feel like was good enough to be honest.

"It was a Family Fund holiday as well so it was a holiday awarded by a company that helps children with additional needs to go on holiday and have a nice time.

"They weren't able to enjoy it, especially my two autistic children. They were not able to enjoy the holiday at all because it was completely ruined by the infestation in the caravan."

Haven said that two options of alternative accommodation were offered but this was declined by the guest due to not having the equivalent grade available as the park was at capacity at the time.  

They claim a full refund was processed to the guest's Family Fund voucher and is available to use if they wish to rebook. The issue with the caravan was resolved by their park maintenance team.

A spokesperson for Haven said: "We are sorry that our accommodation didn't meet our usual high standards of cleanliness, and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

"Once we became aware of the issue, and in line with our cleanliness guarantee policy, alternative accommodation was offered. A full refund was also provided."

A spokesperson for Family Fund said: "We are very sorry to hear that one of the families we support didn't have the break they should have. We work really hard, in partnership with all our suppliers, to ensure that every family who gets a grant has the best experience possible.

"After investigating this urgently with Haven, they have confirmed that a full refund was issued immediately after the complaint – for the grant to be used whenever is most suitable for the family, in the coming months. Our team is also on hand for any support the family may need with this grant."