Episode 4 Holiday Hit Squad

Right now, the holiday-booking industry is at its peak.

Millions of you are flicking through holiday brochures,

deciding where you're going to spend your two weeks in the sun,

so that you can dispel those winter blues.

# The sun is shining in the sky

# There ain't a cloud in sight #

When it's our money, we put our faith in the holiday industry in the hope it delivers.

But things can go wrong and dream holidays can end in disaster.

This naked flame just lit the alcohol

-and set my baby on fire in the pram.

-She was screaming in agony.

It was just a complete construction site going on next door.

It's what you call a holiday from hell.

We are the holiday hit squad and our mission, quite simply,

is to ensure you get the best holiday possible

by sharing with you some of the tricks of the trade.

I'll be delving in to some downright dodgy hotels

on a mission to put things right.

-Got this awful smell coming up.

-Oh, that's strong, isn't it?

Three blind mice could run the hotel better than what it's being run.

We'll be access all areas in some of the favourite holiday hot spots for British travellers.

Getting an insider view of the perils and pitfalls that face us all.

Do you think people underestimate the effect that the heat

can have on them when they're on holiday?

And I'm turning disasters into dreams come true for some unlucky victim

-of holidays from hell.

-That is amazing.

Coming up on the programme.

-Horror on the highways.

-There was this bang on the back of the car.

I didn't know what was going on.

The Tenerife three-star with unwanted extras.

They're all over this mattress. All over the floor underneath.

And the deadly craze that's costing British lives.

It's very difficult to explain to somebody,

you have to take them home in a casket.

But first.

# We're all going on a summer holiday

# No more working for a week or two #

We slave all year to earn the money for our summer fun in the sun.

Which makes it all the more galling when our digs don't live up to the hype.

# It's not fair and I think you're really mean #

So we're travelling the world on a mission to uncover those heartbreak hotels

and bring them up to scratch.

Today, I'm joining the four million Brits who head to the Canary Islands every year.

BELL RINGS

I've just arrived in Tenerife, a really popular destination for Brits abroad.

I'm about to check in at Malibu Park, a huge complex of apartments.

A lot of people who have stayed here don't think it's up to scratch.

Well, time to see it for myself.

Set in the hills above Playa de las Americas, the apartments may have a pretty setting.

But they've drawn online complaints

ranging from dirty beds and bad smells

to poor maintenance and rampant cockroaches.

Rooms cost up to £70 per night. Can it really be that bad?

Well, for queen and country, I'm prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice to find out.

Oh, it's quite a big apartment actually.

So we have kitchen, sitting room, obviously a spare bed.

TV. Seems all right.

Fairly well done. And in the bedroom.

Very good. Towel swan. Nice touch.

There's a slight smell...

A little bit of that musty smell.

Then the windows open...

Looks like they do. In fact, there's a cracked pain there.

And further along.

It looks a bit dangerous actually. The glass is slightly bent there.

The bathroom's over here.

Um, yeah.

Bath has seen better days. Bit grubby around the tiles.

Not the most inviting place to spend the night.

The next morning, I called in the big guns.

Health and safety superman Mike Williams is here to cast his X-ray vision

over the Malibu Park Hotel and Apartments

and report back to the owners.

First stop, one of the apartments.

But we've been beaten to it by an unwelcome guest.

Already thinking, I can see cockroaches. A dead cockroach.

-He's twitching, not quite dead.

-He's pretty dead.

Cockroaches are a problem because they carry bacteria.

They're known as a food pest.

If they come into contact with food, they will eat the food and, from that perspective,

pass the bacteria onto the food that you are potentially eating.

Cockroaches can pass on all kinds of nasty diseases,

including salmonella, dysentery, and even typhoid.

-Good rule with a cockroach, never stand on one.

-Why not?

They carry their eggs, when you stamp on one, you'll kill that cockroach,

but you'll pick their eggs up and spread them around.

Some species of cockroach can produce up to 20,000 young during their lifetime.

This is the... This is like a spare bed.

-Yes. Now, straightaway I can see there's little black spots...

-Yeah.

..on the actual mattress cover. I can't be certain but these do look

-like cockroach droppings.

-They're all over this mattress.

They're all over the floor underneath.

Actually, looking further under the bed, there are two dead cockroaches underneath.

Not a good feeling. If I was staying here,

I don't know if I'd be on the spare bed but if I was staying here,

to think that this bed has cockroaches

-crawling over it.

-It's not nice.

Unfortunately for us, cockroaches thrive in warm humid temperatures,

which is why you will often find them at your holiday destination.

There's another horror lurking behind the shower curtain.

Limescale might look harmless but it can be deadly.

The problem with scale is that the Legionella bacteria needs something to feed off.

And it will feed off scale, basically.

So if the shower heads aren't kept clean, then they're a potential reservoir for Legionella bacteria.

It's a bacteria that lives in water.

But we only pick it up as a problem if we inhale it into our lungs.

We can drink a glass of water which is absolutely full of Legionella bacteria,

straight into your stomach, not a problem.

But if you manage to breathe it in, then it can be a problem.

From my point of view, if I'm staying in a bathroom, as I was last night, what can I do?

I had a shower out of a slightly scaly head. What can I do?

One of the simple things is, the first time you use the shower,

take the shower head off, place it in the bottom of the bath and turn it on.

Leave it to run for a few seconds, maybe a minute. That will help

clear anything out of the shower head.

We'd recommend they take the shower heads off, descale them and clean them thoroughly.

You would hope that daily cleaning would clean the shower head, the external surfaces as well.

The symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are flu-like, and like flu it can be deadly.

Around 120 Brits picked up this virus on holiday in 2011.

Later, things go from bad to shocking.

-Being next to a children's play area.

-That's just unexcusable.

With picture-postcard beaches and balmy weather,

the Balearic Islands are one of our all-time favourite destinations.

Around 3½ million of us visit every year.

There's a huge infrastructure here dedicated to looking after the Great British holidaymaker.

And I'll be spending time with some of the professionals on the frontline.

to learn just how we can keep ourselves out of trouble.

Today, a little oasis of Britain abroad.

SIREN WAILS

I'm heading off to spend the morning with the British consulate in Palma.

This tiny office has responsibility for the entire Balearic region.

And it is one of the busiest British consulates in the world.

# I need help!

# Hey!

# I can't do it alone, no! #

The Palma office deals with a daily deluge of desperate Brits.

-My bag was stolen.

-I lost my passport, money and equipment.

We'll deal with deaths, we'll deal with arrests, we'll deal with accidents,

we'll deal with people being imprisoned. And everywhere in between.

Consul Paul Abrey is at the helm.

-We're embarking on a voyage of adventure.

-Absolutely.

-Who knows what will come through the door?

-Let's go and have a look.

And I don't have to wait long for a crisis.

I think we've got an unusual case.

This young man's passport somehow has been chewed up at the airport.

As a result, he can't get a flight home.

15-year-old Daniel had been holidaying with his grandad Malcolm.

On his way home, his passport went in one end of the airport hand-baggage scanner

but it didn't come out at the other.

Malcolm is desperate to get him home to his mum.

-They wouldn't let him leave the country?

-No.

-Even though he had the boarding pass.

We were surprised about that because we thought they'd got the...

On the flight records, they've got the passport number and everything.

But they said they didn't think he'd be able to get out of Gatwick without a passport.

The consulate will only issue travellers with an emergency travel document

if they have evidence of a flight home.

As soon as we can confirm that he's got a flight, the flight is paid for and he's booked on a flight,

they are the details we can put on an emergency passport and we're done.

But that's easier said than done.

It's a bank holiday and the airlines have been booked up for months.

# We've got to get out of this place

# If it's the last thing we ever do #

-At the moment, you don't know how long you're going to have to be here.

-No.

While Paul and his staff scour the airlines for a spare seat back to Blighty,

the office is filling up with more Brits in a bind.

Brenda lost her bag the moment she arrived at the airport.

-Passport you need.

-I need a passport.

-You've lost your credit cards and everything.

-Credit cards.

-You've cancelled all those?

-Oh, yes.

-Do you know where you lost it?

-In the gent's toilets.

-What were you doing in the gent's?

We were coming off the plane and the ladies' wouldn't let us in.

I was with another lady. We went into the toilet.

I must've put it... Because it was messy. Hung it on the back.

So glad to get out because it's the men's toilets.

And then, when I get to the hotel, no bag, no nothing.

It costs £95 for an emergency travel document.

And it's only valid for your journey home. But Brenda won't let this ruin her holiday.

What do I do? I don't smile, do I? No.

That's it.

'Attention. Please close the curtain on your left.'

-Better close this.

-'Press the green button to take the photo.'

Green button? Where's the green button?

More than 60,000 British passports are either lost or stolen abroad every year.

But, in less than an hour, Brenda's temporary passport is ready.

-There you are.

-Oh, thank goodness for that.

After she finally worked out the machine.

But where are you going to put this one?

-Safely in my bag.

-And where are you going to put the bag?

Keep it very close to my body.

Like many of us, Brenda let her guard down because she was on holiday

and fell victim to an opportunist thief.

But what can we do avoid a lost passport ruining our holiday?

First of all, keep your passport somewhere safe,

either on your person or in the hotel safe.

Make copies of you passport, take one with you and store another online in a secure-data website.

And if the worst does happen, report your loss to the police or consulate immediately

in order to avoid becoming the victim of identity fraud.

Later, I'll be finding out about British tourists

who are deliberately putting themselves in harm's way.

# Let the sun shine, let the sun shine, baby

# Let the sun shine #

I want you to picture the scene.

You're driving along a Spanish road, enjoying the countryside and view.

Suddenly, there are horns blaring, someone is trying to flag you down.

What do you do? Do you wind up the window and just carry on?

Or do you stop and try to help?

Helen reports now on the latest scam aimed at British tourists.

I've been meeting travellers who, through no fault of their own,

have experienced the holiday from hell and doing my best to repair the damage.

Hello.

Having a car abroad can be fantastic.

You can go to different places, see different sights, and get away from busy tourist resorts.

But having a British number plate, or a car with hire-car stickers on,

can mark you out as a target.

This footage taken from a CCTV camera on a Spanish motorway

looks like one motorist helping another.

But there's a more sinister reality.

It's actually an audacious highway robbery.

In 2009, keen birdwatchers Joy and Alan Horton

were heading for a special treat in the Spanish Pyrenees,

spotting rare birds of prey.

On the motorway heading past Barcelona, Alan spotted

another car in his rear-view mirror.

I was conscious of a car coming up very quickly

and very close. For a moment, I wondered if I was in the right lane or not.

Then there was this bang on the back of the car.

I thought, "Oh, my God!"

It sounded as if either his car had hit ours or ours had hit his.

Thinking the right thing to do was to stop and exchange insurance details,

the couple immediately found a spot to pull over.

The man got out of the car, came round to the passenger-door side,

when Alan got out and met him round the side of the car.

I was trying to see what was wrong with his car.

I couldn't see a scratch, I couldn't see anything. I didn't know what was going on.

The man was getting angrier and angrier.

And more aggressive. Because I was so riveted by what was going on,

and so concerned for Alan's safety,

I didn't in notice anything that was going on around me.

And, of course, this is what the scammers were banking on.

While one of them was causing a distraction, his accomplice

had gone round to the rear passenger door of Joy and Alan's car.

The car engine revved and they disappeared at a tremendous speed, leaving us in a cloud of dust.

And we were sat in the car, looking at one another, wondering what on earth had gone on.

Only to find absolutely everything on the back seat had gone.

Passports, driving licences, cash.

-Well, everything that was in our carry bags.

-Camera. Everything in our carry bags, yes.

You just sort of go cold.

Joy and Alan lost more than £1,000 and their dream of making it to the Pyrenees was smashed.

But more than that, the experience has taken a terrible emotional toll on the couple.

Once I got over the initial shock, and there is a shock,

to the stage where I was shaking

and sort of not wanting to go out of the bedroom.

I didn't like the crowds around me.

I kept putting my hand on my jacket pocket to make sure my wallet was still there.

Um, it really went quite deep,

far deeper than I thought it was going to go.

Alan and Joy are not alone.

Last year, the British consulate received 140 reports

of similar incidents across Spain and France.

And now the Foreign Office is warning drivers to be particularly vigilant.

Later, I'll find out how you can avoid the highway robbers

and try to help Alan and Joy overcome their fears

by taking the couple back to Spain.

Things like crowds, the heartbeat goes up.

Still.

BARKS

MUSIC: "A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend

Every year, more than 36 million of us fly to different parts of the world

for our annual summer holidays.

From the tropical beaches of the Caribbean to the ancient culture of Egypt

or nightlife of Thailand. It's our annual reward for putting up with our day-to-day lives at home.

# Ey! Ey! Ey! Ey! #

But some guest arriving at the Malibu Park Apartments in Tenerife

feel like they've drawn the booby prize.

And they've not been shy to air their feelings.

Man!

So, health and safety inspector Mike and I are investigating what all the fuss is about.

We've unearthed rampant roaches.

And hidden health hazards.

If the shower heads aren't kept clean, they're a potential reservoir for Legionella bacteria.

Now we want to check out what should be one of the highlights.

The thing that stands out to me really with the pool tank

-is, first, there's no grouting in a lot of the tiles.

-Right.

-Secondly, when we look down the edge, there's actually some algae.

-Oh, is there?

-Yeah.

-These little black marks.

-There's loads of it.

-Those black lines.

It's not endemic of saying the pool water's in bad condition.

But the pool itself clearly isn't fully clean.

Surely, just giving it a proper scrub will dislodge it.

The black algae show the pool isn't being cleaned properly.

Meaning, any harmful bacteria on the bodies of swimmers aren't being destroyed

and could cause illness.

The shower tiles look like they need some attention too.

Missing tiles, sharp edges, potentially cut your feet.

If you've got kids, you don't want them running around here,

-potentially cutting their feet open.

-No, you don't.

OK.

And there are other pitfalls for little fingers and toes.

If we look here, there's quite a big gap.

-Yeah. It's a bit raised up, isn't it?

-It's a bit raised.

But just outside the play area, the real shocker

was the garden lights.

The wires are actually damaged.

So much so that we've actually got cables inside.

-Wow! Definitely not touching that. You can see the copper wiring.

-Yes, absolutely

That's just unexcusable to have potentially live wires like that.

It's time we confronted the Malibu Park Apartments assistant manager Jacho with the problems.

First, those dodgy electrics.

The wiring was fully exposed,

so quite a big risk of a child getting an electric shock.

-OK.

-You have maintenance guys here, do you?

-Yeah.

-It's probably worth looking at all the lights there

-to see what's what.

-We will try to fix.

Next, the scaly shower heads that could be a breeding ground for deadly Legionella.

The shower heads we looked at, there was a lot of scale.

If you clean the shower heads more often,

that will remove that problem.

There is 245 apartments.

You could maybe have them programme to clean, say, ten shower heads,

or five per day, every day, just on a cycle.

And then there's the problem that's really been bugging guests.

I think you're aware there are cockroaches in the hotel.

Yeah. We tried to fix that problem every day, every month, every year.

It's clear to see that you do treat the rooms to kill the cockroaches.

We found very small, so baby, plus adults.

What I would recommend is, the treatment that you do,

is just to increase how often you treat and, hopefully, that will break the cycle.

Mike also points out the broken tiles and trip hazards in the children's playground.

We will improve all the things.

And we want every guest staying here for their holidays

to enjoy their holidays and repeat their holidays here in Tenerife.

Jacho seems to be making all the right noises.

We'll be back later to see if he puts his money where his mouth is.

Still to some on the Holiday Hit Squad.

I'm back at the consulate with more British travellers who are stranded abroad.

Are you crying on your holiday?

Oh!

We check out a Caribbean hotel that doesn't scrub up well.

I'm not sure what these are

on this toilet seat.

And I try to conjure up some magic memories for our victims of the holiday from hell.

It's just so beautiful.

It's the last thing that you want but I'm sure that, at some time or another,

most of us have been on holiday and picked up a mystery bug along the way.

It can mean you spend an entire week running in and out of the bathroom.

Or snuffling with a sore throat and puffy eyes.

Not a good look to have when you're on holiday.

But is that just bad luck?

And what happens if what you assume is holiday flu turns out to be an infection that's a lot more serious?

So this week in the lab, we're looking at viruses and infections.

The rhinovirus, common cold to you and me, attacking our bodies.

It takes just ten hours from entering our system to take full effect.

# When you put your arms around me

# I get a fever that's so hard to bear, you give me fever #

With the aid of some food colouring,

Dr Chris van Tulleken is going to show me just how to avoid picking one up.

And it all starts with a sneeze.

SNEEZES

-Ugh!

-Sorry about that.

-That is disgusting.

It is very disgusting. That was particularly violent because I was making myself sneeze.

I think you could put a frame on that and sell it to the Tate Modern.

But I get the message. It goes a long way and it scatters.

In fact, your body can sneeze at over 100mph.

What comes out contains around 40,000 droplets of mucus loaded with bugs.

So, rule number one.

Keep your germs to yourself.

Sneeze into your elbow or into your hankie.

If you must sneeze into your hands, wash your hands afterwards.

Catch it, kill it and bin it, that's what we say.

But you can't bank on others being so responsible.

Around three quarters of people admit to not covering their mouths when they sneeze.

So you could pick up a bug when you least expect it.

We go on holiday and we think we got a bug on holiday.

In fact, the plane getting to the holiday,

that's a really good place to get bugs, You're in a confined space,

breathing the same recirculated air as another 2-300 people.

We've shown serious infections like SARS, swine flu, these things are passed on on planes.

And you don't even need to be sneezed onto pick up something deadly like bird flu.

All it takes is a tray table harbouring germs.

How do they actually get into our systems?

One of the good ways is through the very sensitive passages

in your nose and in your mouth. Very often, you touch something,

-then pick your nose. Probably, you don't pick your nose. Some of us do.

-Try not to.

These passages are a good way of getting in.

It's a good idea to carry anti-bacterial gel and keep your hands clean.

Keeping the hands clean. A major port of entry. Not someone

coughing on your face, that can happen if you get an aerosol of bugs that you inhale.

In the interests of our health, Dr Chris has offered up his own hooter to show us the way.

And this is a wonderful breeding ground, is it,

-for bugs in the nasal passage?

-The bugs want to get in these passages.

One of the reasons they want to do that is because, once they're in there, they can spread.

To help your nose to keep the body's defences up, using a saline spray before and during your flight

can boot the germs out and add a layer of protection.

-Airports, airplanes.

-Yep.

-Bad place to pick them up.

What about once you're on holiday? Are you safe then?

Reasonably safe. But there are some risks from bugs that cause throat infections and breathing problems.

One of the big ones is Legionella, so Legionnaires' disease.

This is a bacteria that loves wet warm environments.

So it loves air-conditioning systems, it loves Jacuzzis, a Jacuzzi

is an almost perfect bacterial broth.

It's full of protein in dead skin flakes, which bacteria love to eat.

-I don't think I'll ever go in a Jacuzzi again.

-You have to worry about spas.

In this country, spas, Jacuzzis, air conditioning is all pretty well looked after.

You can't always be sure of that when abroad.

So, what can we do to avoid becoming sick on holiday?

Carry and alcohol-based hand gel with you. And use it regularly

to stop you picking up any nasty bugs.

Use a saline nasal spray before your flight.

It could block those harmful bacteria from taking hold.

And check the Foreign Office website

for reports of any outbreaks of disease where you're travelling.

Every year, tens of thousands of us take our car south

to explore the rugged beauty of France and Spain.

But it's not always an easy ride.

Earlier on, we met Joy and Alan

who had a terrible experience on a Spanish motorway.

The couple became the victims of a modern form of highway robbery.

The car engine revved and they disappeared at a tremendous speed, leaving us in a cloud of dust.

Only to find absolutely everything on the back seat had gone.

This footage shows another couple suffering the same fate.

It's a crime that's on the increase all across Europe.

And they're targeting visiting holidaymakers.

To find out how we can avoid becoming victims of the same crime,

I'm off to the British consulate in Malaga.

Roadside robbery, how big of a problem is it?

Roadside robbery, when people are driving down through France and Spain is a big problem.

Last year, there were 140 cases reported to the consulate teams.

And it's people being stopped on the motorway, seemingly innocently,

and finding within a few minutes everything's gone out of the car.

This footage from the Spanish police shows exactly how it's done.

The robbers may bump into the back of your car,

or start flashing their lights,

to persuade you to pull over to deal with the bogus problem.

Then, while one man distracts everyone in you car,

another jumps out to grab your treasured possessions

before making a quick getaway.

Presumably, some people might want you to stop in all innocence.

-What should drivers do?

-Drivers need to not stop at the side of the road.

Stop somewhere safe like a garage. Stop at the rest area where there are people.

If you've got a hire care or a car with British plates, most people will know it's a tourist car.

The thieves will expect there to be stuff in the car.

Like cameras, passports, etcetera. If you then think,

"OK, I'm getting out. I feel confident." Even at that stage,

I would still grab the bag with the passports in or the money

-and take that with me.

-140 roadside robberies last year alone.

-Yeah.

-Is that enough to stop people driving?

-Would you advise they don't drive?

-No.

Of course not. Millions of people drive through Spain and France every year without incident.

What we do is highlight the things that come to our attention.

These can be nasty. An elderly couple, confident drivers, coming down to spend some time in Spain,

can have their confidence completely ripped from them. It's about being safe and driving

safely in Spain and overseas in general.

But I would say, just think, be careful and think.

Don't leave your brains back in the UK.

Bring them with you and use them.

Despite the alarming number of recent incidents in France and Spain,

this form of highway robbery occurs all over the world.

It pays to lock your valuables in the boot of your car

and only stop in a safe and well-populated spot.

Now I want to try and rebuild Alan and Joy's confidence in travelling.

To break them in gently, I've brought them to Andalusia

in southern Spain.

Eight miles away from the spectacular historic town of Ronda,

I'm putting the couple up in the heart of the countryside.

It's quiet, beautiful and a world away from the busy highway.

But I'm worried that, even here, Alan and Joy can't forget their highway hell.

-How does it feel to be back in Spain?

-I suppose we're a bit apprehensive.

Things like crowds and being on a crowded motorway.

The heart beat goes up.

Still. I get... Yeah. I'm not very good with uncertainty.

If I'm in a situation where I don't know what's going to happen, it gets me a bit nervous.

Well, we didn't want you to be put off travelling after last year.

We wanted you to come here, have a good time, we've got a few things planned.

-Oh, right.

-First things first.

-We're going to a nature reserve where, hopefully, you'll see Griffon vultures.

-Wonderful.

-Terrific.

Later, I'll find out if this new holiday can make them

feel confident about travelling again.

I'm hoping that this trip is going to make them fall back in love with Spain.

Look at that. It's just horrible.

-Mucky mattresses.

-Look at that!

-Oh, my goodness!

Rank refrigerators.

-You need to stop using that fridge.

-OK.

-Definitely.

And pesky pets.

That's not what I want to see in the same kitchen as my lunch.

End of.

Just some of the many delights my inspectors and I encounter in our quest

to improve hotel standards for Brits abroad.

That's the reason for the smell. It's been like that since 10am. Absolutely disgusting.

And tonight, our brave inspector may be facing a Caribbean catastrophe.

The Dominican Republic.

Around 170,000 of us make the flight here every year

in search of sparkling waters, white sands

and that relaxed Caribbean vibe.

But you've been complaining that one of the hotels here might just be

a little too laid back.

The El Cortecito Hotel in Punta Cana

has been slated in online reviews.

Complaints of filthy rooms and bad disrepair.

Rooms cost around £38 per night.

Following such negative comments, assistant manager Herman has invited us to see for ourselves.

The hotel was built in 1995.

It's 17 years old. We have 75 rooms.

We want to show the hotel to all the world

because some people write different things on the internet.

But we want to show you the real.

So we've parachuted in our hotshot environmental health officer Marva.

# Hey, hey, hey! I'm sending out an SOS

# Sending sending #

-How are you?

-Good and you?

-I'm here to do an inspection.

-Yeah. Good.

-Shall we go?

-Let me show you.

-Thank you. Thank you.

Marva has 22 years' experience as an environmental health officer.

I have many pet peeves.

Sanitation, pool hygiene.

And around the beds, it's about the bedbugs, do we have any?

Marva starts her inspection in one of the hotel's 75 bedrooms.

So this is one of the bedrooms.

-I want to have a quick look at the beds.

-OK.

We expect to have nice clean linen.

We expect to have a protector on your mattress. Oh.

-There's nothing there. No protector.

-No.

We would expect to have at least a protector on this mattress, yeah?

With no protector, the mattress could be carrying germs,

skin and hair particles from every single previous guest.

So this is the bathroom.

Right. You've got quite a bit of mould.

-You've got hot water, have you?

-Yes.

-All right.

There doesn't seem to be any hot water. It's taking a long while.

We don't have hot water. The warmer thing is off.

I would recommend that in here you pay some attention to the seals.

You can get pests hiding and breeding behind here.

Also, ensure that the hot water is constant, yeah?

-Not just on and off but there's a constant supply of hot water to the basin.

-I see.

OK.

-I want to look on the inside.

-Yeah.

-I'm looking for hygiene points.

I'm not sure what these are, yeah,

on this toilet seat. I'm not sure what it is.

Quite shocking really.

The sanitation and cleaning is not happening as it should in the bedrooms. We hope it gets better.

The Dominican Republic is renowned for its picture-postcard beaches.

El Cortecito's restaurant and grill should be a highlight for guests.

OK, we're going into the grill area.

It's run for the hotel by a neighbouring business.

The head chef is Pablo.

-Hello.

-Hi, chef, how are you doing?

Can you tell me what you prepare here? What sort of food

-Here I prepare seafood.

-Yes.

-Only seafood.

-Oh, seafood?

-Yeah.

-OK. Good.

-This only meat.

-There's very good separation between the dishes in here.

-We've got fish and meat.

-Yes.

-Excellent.

But the good news ends there.

I've seen evidence of droppings over here, in this area over here.

That indicates that we've got a slight problem

with pests in this area.

Tropical diseases are found in Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic

because the consistently warm humid atmosphere is the perfect climate for disease-carrying pests to breed.

# Come Mr Tally Man, tally me banana #

We do have some vegetables on the floor, bananas.

Do we not have a vegetable rack for those to keep vegetables off the floor?

So you don't get contamination issues.

Yeah. OK.

-We've got quite a bit of work in here to do, don't we?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

And if it's that bad in a kitchen that's on public view,

I dread to think what Marva will find behind closed doors.

# I'll keep you my dirty little secret, dirty little secret

Maintenance. You can see that. Lots of it.

# Who has to know?

# Who has to know? #

-What happens in here? Is that for washing up?

-Yes.

-OK.

-We wash. This side is sanitation.

-Right, right, right.

This is a very good concept here

because we do need this three-compartment sink.

But if you look at this.

This is used for cleaning.

Each square centimetre of a soiled dishcloth can contain one million bacteria.

Making it dirtier than a toilet seat.

Right. Do we have any hot water here at all?

-Is there any hot water?

-The water? No, no, no.

-No hot water.

-We cook here and there.

-OK. But this is your main cleaning, washing plates and all that?

-Yeah.

In here? There's no hot water. OK.

That kitchen was very shocking.

If I was an enforcement officer, I would consider closure, yes.

Following her inspection of the Cortecito Inn,

Marva was expecting to meet the manager to present her findings

and make some recommendations for improvement.

But, out of the blue, the hotel turned her down.

They say they intend to give the hotel a complete overhaul in seven months' time.

They do have a seven-month plan to refurbish.

But I think that plan needs to be reviewed because they have some serious urgent issues.

I wouldn't stay as a guest in this hotel at the moment.

Ask me again in seven months' time.

Back at the British consulate in Palma, Majorca, 15-year-old Daniel and his grandad Malcolm,

are still desperately trying to organise a flight and an emergency passport.

He was stateless for a while until grandparents came to the rescue.

Well, I haven't succeeded in rescuing him yet.

But the bank holiday rush means that flights are few and far between.

They're trying to find a flight, any airline to anywhere in the London region,

to get him home today or tomorrow.

The consul, Paul, is pulling out all the stops.

Our travel agent is searching for a flight as we speak. We've just spoken to them.

Anywhere in London is what we've asked them.

They'll come back to us, hopefully with a flight.

Meanwhile, another of Her Majesty's subjects is also in trouble.

Katie, what brings you to the consulate today?

The other night, I think I picked up my passport and left it on the beach.

And then I searched my hotel for it and I couldn't find it anywhere.

20-year-old Katie was on holiday with friends but they all fell out.

So, all alone for four days, she just wants to get home.

Are you crying on your holiday?

Oh!

Oh, dear.

You'll be all right.

-Yeah.

-Yes?

-Yeah.

-No more tears.

-No more tears. No.

-No.

# Everybody hurts #

Staff here in Majorca are used to seeing young Brits in a mess.

But they recently had to deal with a particularly upsetting new craze.

One that's hit the high-rise hotels of Magaluf.

'Make sure you hit the water or you're dead.'

It's been dubbed "balconing".

'LAUGHTER'

Young people have been leaping from hotel balconies to the pool below.

Sometimes, with fatal consequences.

Lots of times, unfortunately, people don't meet the pool.

In 2012, there were three deaths and six serious accidents in Majorca

as a result of either misjudged leaps to the pool

or climbing between balconies.

It's difficult to explain that they fell because they thought it was fun to jump to the pool.

Now you're going to have to take them home in this condition.

Or, indeed, take them home in a casket.

Part of the problem is the incredibly cheap price of alcohol in modern holiday resorts.

With shots of dodgy vodka costing as little as 80 pence,

and many hotels being all-inclusive drink-all-you-can venues,

it's no wonder that young people are getting involved in tragic accidents.

The problem is so serious that the Foreign Office has issued the following advice.

Don't take unnecessary risks,

especially under the influence of alcohol.

And do be aware that your travel insurance is unlikely to cover you if you have been drinking.

Even medical evacuation is not covered

under the reciprocal arrangements between Spain and the UK.

Luckily, it's not just the consul who's looking out for us Brits abroad.

We deal with absolutely every single problem.

We do traffic regulations. We do crime.

We protect the people on the beach. We rescue people.

Everything you can imagine that you need the police, that's what we do - the local police.

Day in, day out, the Majorca police force patrol

the holiday hotspots, doing their best to us safe and crime free.

These bobbies on the beach face a set of challenges

that are unique to holiday destinations.

Whether it's unlicensed masseurs.

Or beach thieves.

We went to lunch, when we got back, we saw they took my bag.

The cops are there trying to make sure that our holidays are hitch-free.

If you don't want things stolen, make a deal with your neighbour

at the beach to take care of your stuff while you are at the water.

When you come back, you do the same for them.

A daily problem is a group that's been called "the scourge of Spanish beach resorts."

Nicknamed "looky looky men", they are elicit traders

that pester holidaymakers with low-quality counterfeit products.

To start with, it's an illegal matter because they haven't got permission.

Also it's annoying for the tourists sitting on a sunbed and one comes up and another and another.

We are trying to stop that.

You actually take away what they're trying to sell.

To recover it, they have to pay the fine. If not, they cannot have it back.

And they're becoming a problem at beach resorts all over the world.

It's not only here.

It's all... Everywhere. Wherever they are in Europe or other countries, you know,

there is a Mafia behind them.

Some European police forces recommend tourists not buy anything from the looky looky men

as it encourages them and the criminal organisations behind them.

Because, obviously, they don't want to do what they do.

They're kind of forced to do it.

We feel sorry and pity for them, we feel bad, we understand what they're going through.

So it's not a personal problem with them obviously.

But it's not just the beach irritants that the holiday cops have to deal with.

Sometimes, it's a matter of life and death.

The sea might look inviting.

But the police regularly have to deal with victims

of drowning.

You know what's the worst thing you can see? If they're children.

To a child trying to do RCP, trying to save their life.

And you can see there's not a lot you can do.

That's the worst thing you can find.

I don't know how to describe it. It's really hard. It's really tough to see.

309 Brits drowned on holiday between 2006 and 2010,

of which 55 were children.

But it seems that some incidents involve people who really should know better.

SIREN WAILS

Officers Rosado and Pilar have just received an urgent call.

Holidaymaker Ian Rennie raised the alarm.

I was just walking into the sea, going for a swim, and I noticed

this lady swimming around just using one arm.

I thought it was very strange.

Then, suddenly, she turned completely over, facedown in the water.

And I thought, "She's going to drown."

Luckily for the lady, Ian is a doctor.

I got her to breathe and then we pulled her out.

But she was very confused. When she first came out,

she was... She said very little.

We'd wondered if she'd had a stroke.

But then, suddenly, she coughed a bit more water up

and she became a bit more compos mentis.

Then she started to laugh.

And I wondered if she'd been drinking.

Drowning is the second biggest risk faced by holidaymakers.

It comes just behind road accidents for danger.

British embassies in resorts all over the world

have reported an increasing problem with our over-55s

over indulging in food and drink and then becoming unstuck in the water.

She was very lucky, I have to say.

If I hadn't noticed her and happened to be there,

she was absolutely facedown.

The advice is that sun, sea and booze

are not a good mix.

Although dazed, the woman is given a clean bill of health.

Bien.

It's a month since Mike and I carried out our inspection of the Malibu Park Apartments

in Playa de las Americas in Tenerife.

We left a list of improvements that urgently needed addressing.

Now we're back to see what we've achieved.

# If I had a hammer I'd hammer in the morning #

Assistant manager Jacho has clearly taken our advice seriously.

We discovered broken tiling. But it's already being fixed.

We need to do it and we are doing it.

We were worried that the limescale in the shower heads could be harbouring the Legionella virus.

But Jacho is addressing this concern.

We've replaced a lot of the showers.

It's important to be perfect.

And after I discovered cockroaches in the bedroom, he's increased the frequency of pest control.

If our guests find a cockroach in his apartment,

it's really a problem because

the babies like our complex.

We are trying to fix this problem.

We've set poisons, poisons, poisons.

Jacho has also fixed the broken window in the room where I spent the night.

The window it's OK.

Repaired.

Our biggest concern is the exposed wiring in the garden light next to the children's playground.

But, thankfully, Jacho has heeded our warnings.

There was a defective light near the playground area.

And he's fixing it right now

because it's not safe for children.

And electricity and children can't be mixed.

So, as you can see, he's fixing it.

It's really good to see that our advice has been taken so seriously.

And that, following our visit, Jacho has significantly improved

the safety and cleanliness of this hotel.

Back in Spain, I'm trying to help keen birdwatchers Joy and Alan Horton

get over their holiday from hell.

A robbery on the Spanish highway has left them nervous travellers.

So I've brought them to the beautiful countryside of Andalusia to try to rebuild their confidence.

-We're got a few things planned.

-Oh, right.

-First, we're going to a nature reserve

-to Griffon vultures.

-Brilliant.

-That'd be wonderful.

-Terrific.

A bit of twitching is what Joy and Alan had planned before they were robbed.

I'm taking them to Sierra de Grazalema Nature Park,

home to one of the largest Griffon vulture colonies in Europe.

# Rescue me Oh, take me in your arms #

We're going to climb the Coros peak today. It's a very gentle climb.

This one is famous for beautiful landscapes, gorgeous views and the Griffon vultures.

-Brilliant.

-Whenever you are ready.

-OK. Let's go.

-When you're ready.

It is kind of ironic. I feel a bit like a mum sending her kids off to school on the first day.

Which is bizarre because Joy and Alan have so much more life experience than me.

But, from what Alan said, that robbery has really knocked his confidence.

And I'm hoping that this trip is going to make them fall back in love with Spain.

You can see it on the top of that...

-Oh, yes.

-Top right.

Happily, it looks like Joy and Alan's spirits are soaring.

That is just so beautiful. Oh, wow!

Joy and Alan seem comfortable in the mountains,

but I want them to be confident in town too.

I've managed to persuade them to come into historic Ronda with me for a bit of exploring.

It's just amazing, isn't it?

Imagine discovering somewhere like this.

-It must...

-Reminds me of a jelly mould.

-It does, doesn't it?

LAUGHS

But will this new holiday be enough to soothe the couple's fears?

You said you were a little nervous after what happened last time.

-It has had an effect on you.

-Yes.

-How do you feel at the end of today?

I feel comfortable. I think maybe if we'd had been in a big town,

it would still be a bit difficult, but here I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's been a complete revelation.

And we've marked some places in our minds

that we'd like to be able to come back to and explore in more detail.

You would come back to Spain if you've mapped places you want to go?

-Yes.

-I might drive past Barcelona but I'll keep the doors locked.

I'm thrilled to see Alan so much more confident about holidaying again.

That calls for a celebration.

-Thank you for letting me gatecrash your holiday.

-Thank you for showing us around.

-To many more adventures.

-Thank you. You've been a delight.

-Happy days.

At the consulate in Palma, Majorca,

it's also a happy ending, of sorts, for our Brits in trouble.

They may have had to pay for emergency passports

but at least they're going home.

For Katie, who had a miserable holiday after falling out with her travelling companions,

it's a relief to be on her way back to her parents.

I was so worried, panicking, and didn't think I would get home tomorrow.

But now I'm just so glad, so happy I'm going home tomorrow.

So excited.

And, finally, it's also good news for Daniel

whose passport was swallowed up by the airport scanner.

His grandad, the consul and the travel agent

have pulled out all the stops and found him a flight home via Germany.

So, how can we all avoid needing to throw ourselves on the mercy of the British consulate?

First thing, look after yourself.

Lots of the incidents are because of misadventure.

The second thing would be, when you're in a group, take care of the members of that group.

Don't leave them on their own and make them vulnerable.

Look after your belongings.

Particular tip for girls. Look after your drinks. In terms of

preparation, be aware, research where you're going.

Think about local customs. For example,

walking along the street without a T-shirt on is not necessarily acceptable. Ultimately,

have a bit of a back-up plan. Have a contingency.

Bring some extra cash, put it in an extra bag.

Have another credit card. Have someone at home you can call.

And the final thing is, let people know where you are.

The amount of calls from feverish parents or friends saying,

"We've lost, whoever it might be, we don't know where they are."

So tell people where you are going.

-Paul, thanks very much indeed.

-Thank you very much.

What have we got? Very simple. Take care of yourself.

Take care of each other. Take care of your belongings.

Take care of what you drink.

Make sure that you've got a Plan B,

with a copy of your passport, an extra credit card.

And, most importantly, stay safe.

Let somebody know where you are, Then, if there is a problem,

you won't have to come and rely on Paul and his team, brilliant as they are,

because you won't need them because you'll be having a great holiday with no problems.

As millions of you prepare to book your summer holiday,

what are the Holiday Hit Squad's top tips for ensuring that you really do have the perfect break?

Well, be warned, things can go wrong.

Flames rushed out of this bottle straight in Kirsty's face.

Absolutely everything on the back seat had gone.

I heard the bones in my legs break,

And then I passed out.

Over 700,000 of us made a claim on our travel insurance last year.

So make sure that yours is comprehensive and up to date.

Watch out for dodgy hotels.

'This is horrible. A used plaster and it's definitely not mine.'

Sadly, there will always be some hotels that are either dirty,

dangerous or decrepit.

It was just a complete construction site going on next door.

Check the online reviews to ensure that your stay is comfortable,

clean and safe.

And, finally, if things do go wrong,...

Oh, please don't be broken.

I've got nothing to live on until I get my flight and nowhere to stay.

..be aware that there is an army of professionals on hand to get your holiday back on track.

That's it from the holiday hit squad.

Wherever and whenever you go on holiday...

..take care and make sure you have a good one.

-From us, goodbye.

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd