A young girl who suffered an agonising foot injury when she stepped on a NEEDLE by a hotel poolside while on holiday in Spain has won a payout from airline giant Jet2.
Little Molly Roberts, who was eight at the time, was left screaming in agony when she trod on the discarded needle as she went to fetch her mother some food.
Mum Lisa Roberts, 31, said she feared for her daughter had contracted HIV following the incident on July 30, 2015 at the luxury four-star Palm Beach hotel, in Benidorm.
Molly was left in excruciating pain for the remainder of the £3,500 sunshine break before the family returned to the UK two days later.
Doctors then discovered the extent of her injury when they found a three inch needle embedded in the sole of her foot.
Surgeons performed keyhole surgery but ended up having to slice open her foot in order to get the needle out.
Hairdresser Lisa said the incident had ruined the celebrations for her 30th birthday and starting legal proceedings against their tour operator.
Molly, now ten, is in line for a £2,000 pay-out after the family successfully sued Jet2 last month.
Lisa, who lives with husband Darryl, 33, and their two children Molly and Toby, five, in Leicester,said: “We were going on holiday for my 30th birthday.
“We went to a four star hotel called the Palm Beach Hotel in Benidorm for a week and we were all really excited.
“As it was my birthday, the staff put a cake down and sang happy birthday to me and it was all really nice.
“I sent Molly to go and get some food and the next thing I knew she was screaming and said ‘mum I have trod on something’
“When she came back to me she said ‘I have got something in my foot’ and she was in a right state.
“I thought it was a stone and she said it was sand in her foot. She was really in pain.
“The next day we went to a water park and the following day after that we went home but I knew she wasn’t right.
“Her foot was swollen and I took her to our GP when we got home who said if it didn’t go down take her to A&E.
“Another 48 hours went and it didn’t go down and we went to hospital where the doctor said she had a needle in her foot.
“My first thought was, “Oh my God, what if she has HIV or something like that?’
“You can catch all sorts from discarded needles. I was horrified.
“We don’t know what sort of needle it was but I really feared the worst.
“When she had all her operations done I said ‘I am not having this’ and I looked into taking legal action against Jet2.
“I couldn’t believe it, it was supposed to be a four-star hotel.
“I was heartbroken, I went on a family holiday and my daughter had to be put to sleep for an operation and Molly doesn’t want to go on holiday any more.
“It was so horrible to watch my daughter sedated and going into an operating theatre, the worst feeling ever.
“It took ages for our case to be settled but then they finally accepted our claim.
“Although we got £2,000 from Jet 2, Molly only gets £900 of that because we went through a no win, no fee, lawyer.
“Also she doesn’t get anything until she turns 18, which is ridiculous really. What is she going to do with £900 at that age?
“But it was more about the principle really. A four star hotel should not have discarded needles lying around the pool.
“It was a complete nightmare of a holiday and it ruined by birthday. I was so angry and I still am.”
