A family of fraudsters who claimed their holiday was ruined by food poisoning have been jailed after Facebook photos revealed them enjoying the waterslide and bar throughout the trip.
Christopher Byng, 38, Barbara Byng, 64, Linda Lane, 36, and Anthony Byng, 66, submitted false gastric illness claims against Jet2holidays following an all-inclusive trip to the Canary Islands in November 2016.
The four claimed that they and the two children they travelled with suffered a plague of symptoms including stomach cramps, sickness, diarrhoea, headaches and hot and cold sweats, TeessideLive reports.
They then issued court proceedings, which were defended by their holiday provider, despite mentioning nothing about falling ill immediately after the trip to Hotel Paradise Lago Taurito in Gran Canaria.
Christopher Byng even completed a Jet2 survey in which he said he was “very satisfied” with the choice, cleanliness and quality of meals the hotel offered.
He was also specifically asked whether anyone had been unwell on the holiday but he chose not to answer.
However, answering the question ‘Thinking about the future, how likely are you to book with Jet2holidays again in the next 12 months?’ he responded ‘Very likely’.
This was despite the allegation that his “holiday was ruined as a result of the illness".
But their lies were exposed when pictures surfaced online of the family in high spirits and making full use of the resort's bar and waterslide.
In stark contrast to their claims the photos, posted on Facebook, showed them having a raucous time swimming and drinking pitchers of cocktails.
In one picture, a male member of the family can be seen cheekily putting two fingers up to the camera while a woman grins beside him.
During investigations, Jet2holidays and their law firm, Horwich Farrelly, discovered the evidence which they said showed the claims were fabricated.
The family, of Middlesborough, was convicted of contempt of court and appeared Teesside Combined Court on Friday after pleading guilty.
Christopher, Barbara and Anthony Byng were all jailed for four months.
Lane received a suspended sentence.
They were also ordered pay £20,000 in legal costs by March 26.
The four were blasted by a judge who said the story was not merely an "exaggeration" but a "complete invention".
Judge Mark Gargan added that “false claims for holiday sickness are all too prevalent”.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2holidays , said: “We have led the way when it comes to tackling the issue of fake sickness claims, and we continue to do so.
"Issuing a false claim for compensation is fraud, plain and simple, and we have been at pains to warn people that there are serious consequences if they choose to do so.
"Today’s ruling is the latest illustration of that, and it sends out a very stark message.
"We will not hesitate to take action against fraudsters, and the courts will not hesitate to punish them.”
David Scott, a Partner at Horwich Farrelly, the law firm that investigated the claims on behalf of Jet2holidays said “Despite successfully defending thousands of fraudulent holiday sickness claims, they remain an issue for travel companies.
"We welcome the Judge’s verdict, which sends out a strong message that if you are caught presenting a dishonest claim, there are severe consequences.
"Fraud, no matter the value, will simply not be tolerated by the courts”.
