Irwin Mitchell said it has received complaints from around 40 couples whose stay in Meerufenfushi, in the Maldives, was ruined.

Clive Garner, a partner at the firm, said he had received reports of lizards and rats spotted around the hotel, sewage smells and power cuts.

Operators Kuoni and Jarvis and Hayes are investigating the complaints before deciding their position.

We just expected to go to paradise, but it turned into an absolute nightmare. Lorraine Rowson

One victim, Lorraine Rowson, described how her 10-day trip with her husband, Guy, and two friends became a nightmare.

The couple, who run the Oak Tree Root pub in Atherton, near Manchester, spent £3,200 on the holiday.

On the morning after their arrival, Mrs Rowson, 42, was in agony with stomach cramps and when her condition deteriorated, had to be taken by boat to hospital on a neighbouring island.

The couple's friends Andrew and Gail Lythgoe were also afflicted.

Salmonella poisoning

Mr Lythgoe spent two days on a drip in hospital and has since been diagnosed with salmonella poisoning.

When Mrs Rowson was discharged, the two couples spent the rest of the holiday in a hotel away from the resort.

Mrs Rowson said: "We just expected to go to paradise, but it turned into an absolute nightmare.

"I felt absolutely terrible. I was unconscious when I got to the hospital - they had to carry me off the boat."

The complaints came from holidaymakers who visited the resort between 6 April and 5 May.

Mr Garner said: "We have around 40 potential clients, but we understand the number of people affected is substantially higher.

"We understand Kuoni and Jarvis and Hayes are investigating the outbreak and we hope that they will agree to make prompt payments of compensation to all people who have suffered in the hotel."

Jarvis and Hayes marketing manager Zoe Tring said the firm and other tour operators affected were investigating the claims.

Ministry

The Minister of Tourism for the Maldives, Hassan Sobir, told BBC News Online: "The matter was promptly investigated and attended to by the competent agencies of the government"