A COUPLE have won a four-year legal battle against a travel firm after a late honeymoon turned into a holiday from hell.

Paul Smith, 44, and his wife Abi, 45, were among 138 tourists who became ill at the four-star Riu Miramar Hotel in the Bulgarian resort of Obzor in August 2006.

But it has taken four years for travel giant TUI UK, which owns Thomson, to agree to pay compensation.

Mr Smith, from Littlemore, Oxford, said: “It is an absolute relief that this is all over now and we can move on.”

The amount of compensation is yet to be decided, but it is thought to be worth up to £20,000 for Mr Smith alone.

Mr Smith was told he contracted a bacterial infection caused by contaminated water. The condition left him with irritable bowel syndrome and colitis, leaving him in excruciating pain and off work for six months.

Mrs Smith said: “We got a last minute deal through Thomson to have a late honeymoon to mark our 10th wedding anniversary, as we did not get one the first time round.”

But, on arrival at the hotel, they were faced with the sight of soiled mattresses drying outside, a swimming pool filled with muddy water, caused by local flooding and an overwhelming stench of sewage.

On the third night, Mr Smith became violently ill.

Mrs Smith said: “I was really worried. He was not just ill, he was on the floor in agony. He could not move from the bathroom and could not lie down.”

It soon became apparent that it was not just Mr Smith who was suffering. Mrs Smith said: “There were adults and children with tubes in their arms and extra doctors had to be flown in.”

A year later, Mr Smith, who works as a quality manager for car parts company Draexlmaier in Oxford, took six months off work.

His condition has left him on medication for life, and prompted the pair, and their 13-year-old son Charlie, to move into a smaller home.

Mrs Smith, who works for the JobCentre in Oxford, said: “You hear about these holidays from hell, but you forget that a few days in the sun can have an impact on the rest of your life.”

Clive Garner, head of travel law at Irwin Mitchell, which represented the families, said: “What our clients experienced was simply unacceptable.

“Many of those who became ill have gone on to suffer years of pain and torment.”

A Thomson spokesman said: “We are concerned to learn of any alleged illness or disappointment in any of our properties and can confirm that we no longer operate to the Riu Miramar.