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A young couple from Essex is taking legal action against a UK tour operator over claims that they fell seriously ill at a five-star all-inclusive Turkish hotel.

Naomi Harding and boyfriend Kieran Pierce say they were forced to abandon their romantic getaway after they came down with gastric symptoms at the Diamond Hill Resort Hotel in the beach resort of Alanya in June 2013.

They claim they flew home early to seek medical treatment in the UK for symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps.

Kieran Pierce and Naomi Harding fell ill while staying at the Diamond Hill Resort in Turkey

Mr Pierce and Ms Harding say they were forced to leave the beach resort in Turkey due to their illness

Naomi, a 21-year-old secretary, was diagnosed with gastroenteritis while 22-year-old Kieran, who has diabetes, claims gastroenteritis triggered ketoacidosis as it made it hard for him to maintain his blood sugar levels, their lawyers said.

Ketoacidosis is a serious condition arises when there is a lack of insulin in the body.

Kieran and Naomi say they were forced to fly home early to seek medical treatment in the UK 

Kieran, a client service adviser from Hockley, alleges he was left feeling extremely weak and lethargic, and he risked slipping into a diabetic coma if his condition worsened.

Naomi, from Leigh-on-Sea, was off work for five weeks and she said she is still suffering from symptoms nearly 18 months after their trip.

She said: 'I have been undergoing investigation with my general practitioner over the past year and to this day I am still struggling with stomach issues and ongoing symptoms.

'Our illnesses ruined the holiday and forced us to leave the resort to return home early. 

'As Kieran is diabetic, it was incredibly scary for me to see his condition decline, especially when we were travelling home and were both very unwell.

'He was so weak that he could not even carry his suitcase and when we got home we both went to our doctors.'

She added: 'It's not what you expect when you book to go on holiday. Instead of feeling relaxed and coming back fresh, we've come back feeling really ill and we want to know what caused it.'

Naomi and Kieran, who booked with Freedom Travel Group, have hired solicitors from the law firm of Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of their illness.

They claim the resort's food hygiene standards were poor with food being left uncovered and exposed to flies, or served cold or lukewarm when it should have been hot.

And they allege fresh food was added on top of old food in the buffet restaurant.

Jennifer Downing, an International Personal Injury law expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: 'Aside from making holidays extremely unpleasant, gastroenteritis can have a long-term impact on a sufferer's health and it can be serious when someone with diabetes suffers from gastric symptoms. 

The couple claims food hygiene standards were poor at the Diamond Hill Resort Hotel

'Naomi and Kieran's holiday was ruined and cut short by their illness and we are now investigating the cause of the illness and hope The Freedom Travel Group will work with us as we seek the answers to our client's concerns.'

In a statement, Freedom Travel Group said the couple waited over a year to file a claim for compensation.

A spokesperson said: 'We are currently within the pre-action protocol period, during which time our investigation continues, and we will respond in due course.

'Accordingly, we are unable to provide further comment so as not to unduly compromise any potential legal proceedings.'