0:00:02 > 0:00:05We asked you who has left you feeling ripped off when it comes to
0:00:05 > 0:00:08your holidays, and you came back with a catalogue
0:00:08 > 0:00:10of travel disasters.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16I was absolutely mortified. I'm upset, I'm angry and I'm frustrated.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22It's the inconvenience. It's the stress. It's upsetting.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24So, whether it's a deliberate rip off,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29we'll find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and what you can do about it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Your stories, your money.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Hello and welcome, once again, to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43bringing you a taste of summer from the island of Lanzarote.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Now, we've come to look into more of the holiday
0:00:45 > 0:00:47and travel stories that you've asked us
0:00:47 > 0:00:49to investigate on your behalf,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52and today we'll be looking into situations that, in some cases,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and this is no exaggeration to say,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57really could be a matter of life and death.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Yes, because while most trips abroad do go smoothly
0:00:59 > 0:01:03and are hassle-free, there are, unfortunately, exceptions.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Maybe it's because you suddenly fall ill, or you come across something
0:01:06 > 0:01:09unexpected or even dangerous when you arrive.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Whatever the reason, some trips don't end up being the safe,
0:01:13 > 0:01:14carefree break that you'd hoped for.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And of course, while you could never totally
0:01:17 > 0:01:21prepare for the unpredictable, as ever, being forewarned is forearmed.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25So, as we hear about some of the worse-case scenarios that can happen
0:01:25 > 0:01:28on holiday, whether you're somewhere like this,
0:01:28 > 0:01:29or much closer to home,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32we're going to have what I hope is invaluable advice to make sure
0:01:32 > 0:01:34that you are armed with all the right information to protect
0:01:34 > 0:01:37yourself before you even travel.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Coming up:
0:01:38 > 0:01:42An extraordinary test to find the best way to keep mosquitoes
0:01:42 > 0:01:46at bay, after news of another illness that mozzies can carry.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52All my joints, my fingers, my shoulders, neck was stiff.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54I couldn't move.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57And just what's behind that post-flight lurgy?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We separate fact from fiction with some tests
0:02:00 > 0:02:02to see why it is that we so often feel unwell
0:02:02 > 0:02:04after getting off a plane.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I've got sort of, like, I suppose you'd call it a hay fever feeling,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10where it's bunged up in the nose and what have you.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Now, I'm quite sure you've often heard the phrase,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18"Is there a doctor on board?" in movies and in television
0:02:18 > 0:02:22whenever there's a sudden medical emergency in the middle of a flight.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25But what happens in the rare cases where that kind of situation
0:02:25 > 0:02:26occurs in real life?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Well, the cabin crew do have some medical training,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32but of course they don't have the expertise to deal with every
0:02:32 > 0:02:35condition, and that's when the call for a fellow passenger to
0:02:35 > 0:02:38help can be the only available course of action.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40But it turns out that there's one simple, common,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43and, indeed, relatively affordable piece of kit
0:02:43 > 0:02:44that could be a real lifeline,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and it's one that could significantly improve
0:02:47 > 0:02:51the chances of someone who suffers a cardiac arrest in the air.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56It was three hours into a flight from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi
0:02:56 > 0:02:59when there was a sudden announcement that brought the training
0:02:59 > 0:03:03of medical student Craig McLean into the sharpest possible focus.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10We'd had our meal and were just settling in to watch the film,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and over the Tannoy, interrupted, and said, "If there are any
0:03:13 > 0:03:16"doctors on board, could you, please,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18"make yourself known immediately?"
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Craig told one of the cabin crew he was a medical student,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23but not fully qualified.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24And before he could say another thing,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28they rushed him towards a sick man just a few rows back.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35He was unresponsive and I got down and checked for breathing and pulse
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and, at that point, it became clear that there were neither
0:03:38 > 0:03:40and it was a cardiac arrest.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44So you just go into that emergency automatic mode.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I started CPR on the gentleman and the stewards were very helpful.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51They said, "Look, is there anything we can do to help?"
0:03:51 > 0:03:52So the first thing I thought of was,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55"Can you bring the defibrillator, please?"
0:03:55 > 0:03:57And also another one of the stewards,
0:03:57 > 0:03:58"We've got to land the plane now.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00"We need to make an emergency landing."
0:04:00 > 0:04:05The cabin crew rushed to fetch the defibrillator, which is a portable
0:04:05 > 0:04:08device designed to deliver an electric shock to a heart
0:04:08 > 0:04:10that's not beating properly.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13They also told Craig that the emergency landing was going
0:04:13 > 0:04:14to take 45 minutes.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18And your heart just sinks to think...
0:04:18 > 0:04:2045 minutes is a really long time, you know.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22For every minute that goes by,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25his chances are going to get slimmer and slimmer.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29A Dutch nurse on the plane came over to help.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33She took over CPR, while Craig got the defibrillator ready.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And with the very first shock from the machine,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39their patient's heart started beating regularly again.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42All you're thinking is, "What can I do to give this person
0:04:42 > 0:04:44"the best chance possible?"
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And seeing the defibrillator, seeing the equipment,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49seeing the nurse come over to lend a hand
0:04:49 > 0:04:51are all just fantastic pieces of...
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Bonus pieces that can help this gentleman survive.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58The plane made an emergency landing in Turkey
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and Craig handed the patient over to medics on the ground,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04before the flight resumed its journey.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It was only really afterwards when he went off the plane,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and then everybody just kind of breathed out,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13you really just realised what had happened.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Certainly, the defibrillator gave this man the best
0:05:15 > 0:05:18shot of survival, and had we not had that,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21his chances would have been much slimmer than they were.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Now, although Craig is medically trained, the kind of
0:05:26 > 0:05:30defibrillator used on the KLM flight is designed for anyone to use.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33DEFIBRILLATOR VOICE:
0:05:33 > 0:05:37'Apply pad to bare skin, exactly as shown in the picture.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Tracey Guard is a hospital matron with a background in cardiology.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Anyone can use this machine.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46We teach young children, primary schoolchildren how to use them.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The machine will talk to you. It tells you exactly what to do.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51MACHINE: 'Call for help now.'
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It tells you to remove the clothing. It tells you to open up the pads.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58It tells you exactly, very clearly, where to put the pads on a patient's
0:05:58 > 0:06:01chest and it talks you through exactly what procedure to do.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04It will tell you to stand clear and then a shock's delivered.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07MACHINE: 'Pull red handle to open bag.'
0:06:07 > 0:06:12Widely installed in public places since the 1990s, these simple,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and, at £1,000, relatively cheap defibrillators,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19also known as AEDs, have undoubtedly saved numerous lives.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20'Press pad firmly.'
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So, it might surprise you that it's not standard
0:06:23 > 0:06:26practice for airlines to carry them.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30The European Aviation Safety Authority does recommend that
0:06:30 > 0:06:34they're onboard any aircraft which can take more that 30 passengers,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and which are flying more than 60 minutes away from medical
0:06:37 > 0:06:42assistance on the ground, but it's not a legal requirement.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Now, that's in stark contrast to America,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47where all planes must carry a defibrillator,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51but, in Europe, it's up to individual airlines to decide,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and that's a decision which Tracey feels could be life or death.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56When you suffer a cardiac arrest,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59basically, it stops the circulation of blood going round your body.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02After four minutes of no blood getting to the brain,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05the brain's activity starts to cease, so the sooner
0:07:05 > 0:07:09that you can get a device like this to a patient, the better.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Every minute that you waste,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15you've got a 10% less chance of bringing that patient back to life.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19With no defibrillator, the life of someone in cardiac arrest
0:07:19 > 0:07:21depends on heart massage and CPR
0:07:21 > 0:07:24until the plane can make an emergency landing.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27At the moment, if you suffer a cardiac arrest on the ground
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and you dial 999, an ambulance will probably get to you
0:07:29 > 0:07:32within ten minutes, eight to ten minutes.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34If you have a cardiac arrest on a plane
0:07:34 > 0:07:37you're at least 30 minutes, if not more,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40getting some help from emergency personnel.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43If you've got an AED on an airline your chances of survival
0:07:43 > 0:07:44are very high.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49We asked the ten UK airlines that carry the most passengers
0:07:49 > 0:07:52whether their planes have defibrillators on board.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Now, of those, Thomson Airways and Monarch were the only airlines
0:07:56 > 0:07:59who've routinely had them for a long time.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Thomson for more than a decade and Monarch for more than 15 years.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Virgin and Thomas Cook also carry defibrillators
0:08:07 > 0:08:09as standard on all their planes.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13EasyJet, the UK's biggest carrier, introduced them
0:08:13 > 0:08:15throughout its fleet in 2015.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19And British Airways says they're standard on all mainline aircraft
0:08:19 > 0:08:23but not on its BA Cityflyer routes.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But the fourth biggest carrier in the UK, Flybe,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29doesn't currently have defibrillators on its planes
0:08:29 > 0:08:33because, it says, it predominately focuses on domestic
0:08:33 > 0:08:34and short haul travel.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Many of its flights last less than an hour,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40so in an emergency would divert to the nearest airport.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43And the same goes for the Scottish airline Loganair.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It told us its flights are so short haul that they're never more
0:08:47 > 0:08:49than a few minutes from medical help.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Budget airline Jet2 also only carries them on certain flights.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57But when we asked why, they didn't get back to us.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02One glaring omission in that list is one that carries more passengers
0:09:02 > 0:09:05than any British airline. That's Ryanair -
0:09:05 > 0:09:09not in the UK top ten because it's based in Ireland.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Until recently, none of its fleet had a defibrillator on board.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17But in November 2015 Ryanair announced a big change
0:09:17 > 0:09:20to its policy by installing them right across its entire fleet.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25That came a year after 47-year-old Davina Tavener
0:09:25 > 0:09:29collapsed with heart problems on a Ryanair flight to Lanzarote.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32A surgeon who happened to be on the same flight really tried to help
0:09:32 > 0:09:37but was surprised to learn that there was no defibrillator on board.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Sadly the surgeon was unable to revive Davina
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and she died on the plane.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And while in this particular case, a defibrillator may not
0:09:45 > 0:09:49have been able to save her, the coroner who investigated her death
0:09:49 > 0:09:53made a point of urging aviation regulators to rethink the rules,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and make defibrillators compulsory on all European flights.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00He said they were as necessary on shorter flights
0:10:00 > 0:10:04as they are on long haul ones, pointing out that a cardiac event
0:10:04 > 0:10:08can take just a second and can happen at any time.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11His comments made headlines, and caught the eye of David Mackinson,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14who lives in Davina's home town of Bolton.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17When David was 36, he had a defibrillator implanted
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to help correct an irregular heartbeat.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22And after hearing Davina's story, he began a campaign
0:10:22 > 0:10:26to persuade airlines to carry defibrillators on ALL flights.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30What I wanted to do was try and influence this in some way.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35I thought, well, actually, these are the sort of circumstances
0:10:35 > 0:10:38where a public response, if you can get it,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40will hopefully make a difference.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44While David is delighted that Ryanair flights
0:10:44 > 0:10:47will now always carry defibrillators, he won't rest
0:10:47 > 0:10:51until there's a change in the law to force ALL airlines to do the same.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56My strategy was actually to write to the Prime Minister, which I did,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and also to the Civil Aviation Authority,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03because if you're not going to be able to persuade the airlines
0:11:03 > 0:11:07to do it voluntarily then my view is compulsion should take place.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13So we asked the European Aviation Safety Agency whether it DOES have
0:11:13 > 0:11:16plans to force the airlines to have defibrillators on board.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It told us that it is now looking at this issue,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and has asked aviation authorities across Europe to give their input.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But it's clear that for many the question of whether or not
0:11:29 > 0:11:32every airline should carry such a useful piece of kit
0:11:32 > 0:11:34has an obvious answer.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37The earlier you can get that defibrillator to the patient,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40the greater their chance of survival.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43It's important because life is precious and, you know,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47something so simple, a small piece of equipment like this,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49which doesn't cost a lot of money, can save a life.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It's as simple as that.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52'Preparing to shock.'
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Now, if you've ever wondered why it's you that gets bitten to shreds
0:11:58 > 0:12:02on your holiday when no-one else travelling with you does,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05well, we could just have the answer, plus the best advice
0:12:05 > 0:12:08on protecting yourself from the dreaded mozzies
0:12:08 > 0:12:10hoping to drink your blood.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Mosquito viruses on the rise, and not just the ones you've heard of.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17We can be spoilt for choice with all the products and repellents,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19promising to scare them off.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22But after an extraordinary test you won't want to try at home,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26I warn you, we can tell you exactly which kind are the most effective.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32They're the pesky holiday guests that just won't get the message
0:12:32 > 0:12:33to buzz off.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36You can hear them coming by the familiar whining noise
0:12:36 > 0:12:37that signals they're close.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40But no matter how hard you try to get rid of them,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42they just keep coming back for more.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Now, fortunately, these days, I don't seem to have too much
0:12:47 > 0:12:48of a problem with mosquitoes.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I'm sorry to say that, as I've got older, or more experienced
0:12:51 > 0:12:55as I prefer to put it, they just don't seem to fancy me as much,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58but whether it's you they go for or someone else you're with
0:12:58 > 0:13:01that they like to feast on, chances are that at some point,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04when travelling abroad, you'll be worried about hearing that telltale
0:13:04 > 0:13:07little whining noise that tells you they're about.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10And you'll have probably stocked up on a spray or remedy
0:13:10 > 0:13:11to keep them at bay.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17I always get bitten, and the bites swell up and they go black,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and sometimes they track up my lymphatic system
0:13:21 > 0:13:23and it's a disaster.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27I could be sitting next to someone and they won't get bit,
0:13:27 > 0:13:28and I just get bit.
0:13:28 > 0:13:35One time I went to Turkey and I must have been bitten about 80 times.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I think your blood is attractive and you kind of have a smell somehow.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I don't think repellents change anything.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47For most of us the worst consequence of getting bitten might be
0:13:47 > 0:13:51a nasty itch and an ugly red spot, but if you're bitten by a mosquito
0:13:51 > 0:13:54carrying disease it can be a very different story.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58And there are a lot more of those diseases than you might think.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Sayeeda Siddiqi's family are from India.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03And so she and her husband try and take a holiday there
0:14:03 > 0:14:04as often as they can.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It was a short holiday.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09We just decided that we will take a trip to India.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13We had some family members there and they wanted us to visit
0:14:13 > 0:14:15for a short time.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Sayeeda's not only been to India many times, she's also a doctor,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23and is well aware of the risk of contracting diseases like malaria
0:14:23 > 0:14:25or dengue fever from mosquitoes.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28She also knows she is prone to getting bitten,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31so she made sure she packed plenty of mosquito repellent
0:14:31 > 0:14:34that she and her husband could use.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37If I don't take, I will definitely get bitten up.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Even if you're going out on the road, walking,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42the mosquitoes bite you.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46But when Sayeeda's husband returned to work in the UK,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50a week later, he accidentally took the precious mosquito spray
0:14:50 > 0:14:53back with him, and by the time she realised,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56all the shops were shut, meaning that Sayeeda had no choice
0:14:56 > 0:14:59but to go to bed that evening without ANY protection
0:14:59 > 0:15:01from getting bitten.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06In morning time I felt all my feet were scratching, I was scratching.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10But it was only several days later,
0:15:10 > 0:15:11after she had returned to the UK,
0:15:11 > 0:15:17that Sayeeda realised her bites were more than just an itchy annoyance.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20I couldn't get up from the bed.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25All my joints, my fingers, my knees, my shoulders, neck,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28was stiff, I couldn't move them.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I saw on my leg here a big rash.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It turned out Sayeeda had contracted a debilitating
0:15:35 > 0:15:38viral disease called chikungunya
0:15:38 > 0:15:41which is passed on by infected mosquitoes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Although it's rarely fatal, it can cause fever
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and severe joint and muscle pain.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Currently there's no cure, so Sayeeda just had to manage her
0:15:50 > 0:15:53symptoms as best she could until they disappeared.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58That gave me a bit of relief, that it was chikungunya.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01It will be all right after some time.
0:16:01 > 0:16:07It took me three and a half months to completely feel my joints free.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10It is very, very depressing.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14You may never have heard of chikungunya but cases of it
0:16:14 > 0:16:15are on the rise.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20In 2014, 295 Brits were infected by the virus,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and that's 12 times more than the previous year.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27The disease originated in Africa, but in recent years
0:16:27 > 0:16:30it has been reported in Italy, France and Croatia.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33But, as with all mosquito-borne diseases,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36it IS preventable if you apply the correct repellent.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Trouble is, with so many different varieties on offer, how can you
0:16:40 > 0:16:43be sure you've bought the one that gives the best protection?
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Dr James Logan from the London School Of Hygiene
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And Tropical Medicine has been getting up close
0:16:50 > 0:16:52and personal with mosquitoes for years.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57The mosquito is nature's ultimate blood-seeking machine.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It's perfectly designed to seek us out and steal our blood
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and when it does so, it injects saliva into our skin,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06which is what causes the horrible itchy red lump that we know
0:17:06 > 0:17:08so well as a mosquito bite.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11But what it also can do is inject in something more nasty,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14a disease like dengue fever or malaria.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19So to show us how to avoid becoming a mosquito's tasty treat,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Dr Logan has an experiment up his sleeve.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I'm going to be testing some repellents that are commonly
0:17:25 > 0:17:28found on the market as well as some anecdotes and
0:17:28 > 0:17:30myths that people believe repel mosquitoes
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and the way I'm going to do it is by sticking my bare arm
0:17:34 > 0:17:37inside a cage full of hungry mosquitoes.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41So if the repellents work, the mosquitoes shouldn't land and bite.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46So the guinea pig in this test is Dr Logan himself.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47Rather him than me!
0:17:47 > 0:17:49But before he can test the repellents,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53he has to check that he's tasty to mosquitoes in the first place.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57When you go on holiday there's always some people who seem to never
0:17:57 > 0:17:58get bitten by mosquitoes,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and it's all to do with the way that we smell.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04So some people smell repellent to mosquitoes.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Dr Logan says he frequently gets bitten when he's abroad
0:18:08 > 0:18:11and, as he suspects, when he puts his arm in the cage,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14the mosquitoes think lunch has arrived.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17And what they're doing is, they're responding to the chemicals
0:18:17 > 0:18:20given off by my skin, and also the heat and moisture
0:18:20 > 0:18:21coming from my skin as well.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And you can see already, it's just been a matter of seconds,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26but you can see mosquitoes are starting to land,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and we've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
0:18:29 > 0:18:30eight, nine, ten...
0:18:30 > 0:18:3211, 12, 13, 14, 15.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35We've got about 15 mosquitoes already just within about 10 seconds
0:18:35 > 0:18:36landing on my arm.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So we've just completed the control test and there's actually 22 bites
0:18:39 > 0:18:43on my arm, so clearly I'm attractive to mosquitoes,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45which means I'm a good candidate to test these repellents on.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Oh, it makes me itch just watching!
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Well, before testing the more conventional repellents,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Dr Logan's going to try three of the more unorthodox ones that
0:18:54 > 0:18:57some people are convinced can work.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59This is not one I'm looking forward to.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Marmite, garlic, and Brewer's Yeast.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06So it's been about an hour and a half since I took the home remedies.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07So I'll put my arm back in the cage,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11you can see them all buzzing around there, they're really hungry still.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And... OK, straight away, they're in there.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16I can see 10 already landed.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20In fact, if anything, it looks like I'm slightly more attractive.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23So, after about 30 seconds I had about 31 bites.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26So its pretty clear that these anecdotes,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29these home remedies, just do not work.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33OK, time to test some more common, off-the-shelf repellents,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34starting with PMD.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39PMD, or lemon eucalyptus, is a natural repellent.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Is it feast or famine for the mosquitoes this time?
0:19:42 > 0:19:47The important thing about any repellent that you put on the skin
0:19:47 > 0:19:49is that you have even coverage.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51So you need to put it on like a sun tan lotion.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Some people just spray it in the air and walk through it like a perfume,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57that's not going to cut it. You have to cover the skin entirely
0:19:57 > 0:20:00because the mosquito will find the bit that's not been covered.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04OK, so I've seen a few mosquitoes just sort of hovering around
0:20:04 > 0:20:06the hand, but they haven't actually landed.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08One sort of touched the arm and then took off again,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11but I haven't got any landing on my arm at all.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16So it certainly works in this short period of time, it does work.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18So it's a tick for PMD.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Next up diethyltoluamide, or DEET to you and me.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26I'm now going to try my left arm, which has DEET on it,
0:20:26 > 0:20:27it has 50% DEET.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33DEET is a synthesised chemical used in many mosquito repellents designed for high-risk locations.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Products are clearly labelled with the levels of DEET they contain -
0:20:36 > 0:20:40typically anything from 20% up to 50% and beyond.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44So not only have the mosquitoes stopped landing on my arm
0:20:44 > 0:20:47but they're resting on the side of the cage.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49They simply are not interested whatsoever.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52So there are absolutely no bites on my arm
0:20:52 > 0:20:56with the DEET on my arm, and that's because it works extremely well.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59It's the best repellent on the market.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03With DEET and PMD having such dramatic mosquito-repelling success,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06it's clear what you should pack if you're going to a place
0:21:06 > 0:21:08where you risk being bitten.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And Sayeeda, already planning her next trip to see friends
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and family in India,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19will certainly never again let her mosquito spray out of her sight.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24When you go for a holiday or any trip to places
0:21:24 > 0:21:28where you get mosquitoes, take the spray.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31It is the worst thing, it is very, very painful.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Rip-Off Britain has hit the road again, transforming this
0:21:42 > 0:21:47shop in Nottingham into a one-stop hub for consumer advice.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49With one team of experts...
0:21:49 > 0:21:50Ready and able to help...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53The pop-up shop is ready for business and it's open,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55so come on in, everybody, yes.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Jill Owens was hoping that our travel expert, Simon Calder, could
0:22:01 > 0:22:04confirm if she had a case for compensation.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I booked a package holiday and
0:22:06 > 0:22:09when I actually got to the airport, I found to my surprise that
0:22:09 > 0:22:14I didn't have any cases booked as part of my package deal.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- How many cases did you have?- Two.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Was there anything in the booking that you did that said,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20"You must book cases separately"?
0:22:20 > 0:22:25- No, no. I could find nothing that said that.- So what did you do?
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I was told if I wanted my cases to come on holiday with me,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I had to pay £60 a case.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Over to the travel guru. Is that right?
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Jill, as you were talking, I was going onto the website
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and trying to book a two-week holiday in Turkey.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Fantastic price - £122 per person for a fortnight.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46How do they do it?
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Well, they do it partly by adding on extras,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53but they make it absolutely clear that luggage isn't included.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Neither are transfers.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It's easy to get caught out by baggage charges, especially
0:22:58 > 0:23:00when you're tailoring your own trip.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And though Jill's adamant that the ones she fell foul of weren't
0:23:04 > 0:23:07at the time as clear on the website as they are now,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Simon says that's not going to be easy to prove.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Are you absolutely categorically sure that it did not say,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17"Add luggage allowance", which is what it now says on their website?
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Not at the time when I booked, no.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Has she got a case here, do you think?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Legally, I'm really sorry, I don't think you have, Jill.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Because if you go to court they'll just say, "Well,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30"we said luggage wasn't included.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33"The fact that you didn't read it, even if it was in small letters,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35"is not our problem."
0:23:39 > 0:23:43We also let Simon loose in the rest of the shopping centre,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47where he met Ken and Margaret ahead of a trip to New York.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Have you sorted out your holiday money yet?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- No.- Who would you go to? Would you go to banks,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Post Office, travel agents... - Post Office is worth going to.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Travel agents are getting more and more competitive.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Banks I've found aren't very good at all,
0:23:59 > 0:24:04but I compare all of that with what a provider will charge you for
0:24:04 > 0:24:08going online and they will even send it by courier around to your house.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- What about taking sterling to America, and changing it?- No!
0:24:10 > 0:24:13They're simply not used to foreign currency.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15There are a few people who will change a £20 note,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and you'd think, "Oh, I'll probably get about 30 bucks for that."
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Ha-ha, you'll get about 20.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Don't even think about changing your money out there.- OK.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Get it all sorted out here. Very wise.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Every year, more than three billion people across the globe
0:24:33 > 0:24:36take to the skies for business or pleasure.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39But when we land, many of us may feel a bit rundown or tired,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41or think we're coming down with a cold.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45With all those people crammed into a metal tube for hours on end,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48you can see why some people suspect that coughs and sneezes
0:24:48 > 0:24:50spread faster around an aircraft cabin.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54But what about all that recycled air, what's that doing to our lungs?
0:24:54 > 0:24:56So what's the truth?
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Well, it turns out that the real reasons you might feel groggy
0:24:59 > 0:25:02when you come back down to earth may not be the ones you think.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04# Bah bah bah... #
0:25:04 > 0:25:06These four singers are well used to jetting off to
0:25:06 > 0:25:08the bright lights of America.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11They're members of the Sheffield-based
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Hallmark of Harmony barbershop choir.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And they've taken their distinctive sound to dozens of competitions
0:25:16 > 0:25:20both at home and in the birthplace of barbershop, America,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24competing in cities such as New Orleans, Miami and San Francisco.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Like many of us, they've noticed that those long flights
0:25:27 > 0:25:30often leave them feeling distinctly under the weather,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and worried that they might not always be performing perfectly.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Most people would expect to catch something or other
0:25:38 > 0:25:40on an aeroplane flight, yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43They think there's a simple reason why.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47It seems natural to me, out of 300 people, it's sort of almost
0:25:47 > 0:25:51inconceivable to think that not one of them hasn't got a cold.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52They walk the aisle to t'toilet,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- coughing and spluttering all the way.- Exactly.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- Bugs everywhere.- Yeah.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03In June, the quartet and the rest of the 70-strong choir
0:26:03 > 0:26:06is off on an extra-special flight.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08They're heading for Pittsburgh in the USA to represent
0:26:08 > 0:26:13Great Britain at the International Barbershop Choir Championships.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15The flight will take over nine hours,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and the choir don't want the combination of jet lag
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and post-plane lurgy to hamper their chances in the competition,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24so they've agreed to undergo a series of tests
0:26:24 > 0:26:27to discover the truth about why we so often feel
0:26:27 > 0:26:30under the weather after getting off a flight.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- You all ready?- Nearly.- Yes.- Everyone got everything that they need?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39We've brought them to an environmental chamber,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41which will recreate the atmosphere inside an aeroplane
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and we're going to leave them here for four hours,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48the equivalent of a flight to the Canary Islands.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Throughout the fake flight,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53sport and exercise officer Rob Skaife will keep an eye on
0:26:53 > 0:26:56how the conditions affect the singers' health,
0:26:56 > 0:26:57and how their voices fare.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01The lab doesn't look much like a real cabin,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05so we've thrown in a few authentic touches to make their flight
0:27:05 > 0:27:09to nowhere just, well, fly by.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14Good morning, gentlemen, can I see your boarding cards? Come this way.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Good morning.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Rob has lowered the humidity to simulate that of a real plane.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23It even sounds as if they're at 30,000 feet.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27So, are our guinea pigs starting to show the first signs of cabin fever?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36The idea with today is to try and simulate a four-hour flight,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40to measure the changes in the body that occur during that period.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44We might expect to see some change in the saliva production rate,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46particularly over the long period, four hours,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48we might expect to see that drop.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49We're also monitoring other factors
0:27:49 > 0:27:51such as heart rate and blood pressure.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55There are a few things the chaps and anyone else travelling on
0:27:55 > 0:27:59a plane can expect to experience, like mild dehydration and dizziness.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08But there's one thing the quartet are especially keen to find out,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and that's whether cabin air really is
0:28:11 > 0:28:13a breeding ground for passengers' germs.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Of course, this particular flight has no other passengers to pass on
0:28:16 > 0:28:21any nasty bugs, so they should disembark this time feeling tiptop.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23But midway through their flight,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26they've already noticed some definite changes.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58After the in-flight meal, a few magazines and a little sing-song,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01it's time to disembark from the fake flight.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- Thank you, sir.- Thank you. - Thank you. Thank you.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Thank you, take care.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Although Rob's tests reveal the singers' heart rates
0:29:10 > 0:29:12and blood pressure have hardly changed,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14they're all feeling a little groggy,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18and despite taking on extra fluids, are all rather thirsty.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21So the big test is, what has all this meant for their voices?
0:29:21 > 0:29:26# Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away
0:29:26 > 0:29:29# Up and away
0:29:29 > 0:29:30# If you can... #
0:29:30 > 0:29:34I've got sort of like, I suppose you call it a hay fever feeling, really,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36where it's bunged up in the nose and what have you,
0:29:36 > 0:29:41and I think I've lost about, probably about a note and a half,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44on the range, on the bottom end of the register.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48I felt I wasn't, I was struggling to try and keep the pitch,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50and keep the flow of air going,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53which you need to do for good singing.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55And I was definitely struggling.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59I'm quite thirsty, and I'm just waiting for a good cup of tea.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Well, the effect of four hours in the chamber on our quartet
0:30:09 > 0:30:13mirror what many of us feel like when we get off a plane.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15But while we might typically think that means we're ill,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19in fact, most of the time, we're perfectly healthy.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22The common thing is to say, "Oh, I've just been flying,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24"I always get a bad cold as soon as I land,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27"or a few days later, I feel I've got a bad cold.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28"I always catch that on the aeroplane."
0:30:28 > 0:30:33Dr Martin Hudson is a specialist in aviation ailments.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37It turns out there's a pretty simple explanation for why we feel ill
0:30:37 > 0:30:39on or after a flight,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42but surprisingly, it's nothing to do with germs from other passengers
0:30:42 > 0:30:44being recycled round the cabin.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48The air coming in is extremely pure.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53There's nothing in that air of any danger at all.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57There's no bacteria, there's no smoke or any of that because
0:30:57 > 0:31:00there isn't at that attitude, it's beautifully pure, clean air.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05The air comes in and circulates in a circular fashion around the seats.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08It does not go in a longitudinal way,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11doesn't go from the flight deck back to the back of the aircraft
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and back up again, so it's going round, like this.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18So if you've got somebody with an infection, say,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21five or six rows in front of you, a bad cough or a bad cold,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24you're not going to get any of the bacteria from them because
0:31:24 > 0:31:27those bacteria are never, ever going to reach you.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31The real cause of that groggy feeling IS the air in the cabin,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35but it's not because the air isn't clean, it's because it's too dry.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38The air that's coming in
0:31:38 > 0:31:42is probably around about 10% at the most humidity,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45whereas normally, we're breathing air at 60, 70,
0:31:45 > 0:31:4780% humidity.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50The main effect of low humidity on the human body is the fact that
0:31:50 > 0:31:54your nose dries up. Your mucous glands stop producing mucus.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55And also, you get dehydrated.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59Then when you land and you get into a normal humidity again,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02your mucous glands start producing a lot of mucus
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and you overproduce and that's why people think they're getting a cold.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08But it's not a cold, it's a physiological, normal response
0:32:08 > 0:32:11to a dry atmosphere which you've had for the previous few hours
0:32:11 > 0:32:13while you've been in the aircraft.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17That post-flight fug is temporary,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and shouldn't last more than a day or so after you've landed.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24But there are some things you can do to minimise the effects.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25Lots of sleep before you go.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Fill your sleep tank,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30a bit like a car, filling up with petrol before you go on holiday.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Fill up the sleep tank with plenty of sleep before you go,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and then you'll be much better when you get to your destination.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Don't drink alcohol at the airport or certainly very, very little.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Drink a lot of water, particularly on the flight.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Keep mobile and walk round the aircraft
0:32:45 > 0:32:47when you're allowed to do so.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50If you do all that, I think you're going to have a great holiday.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54On top of all that, there's another tip that our singers will be
0:32:54 > 0:32:57taking on board ahead of their US competition.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Arrive a couple of days early to help their bodies
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and their voices properly recover.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06There's no doubt that we'll take extra precaution and go back
0:33:06 > 0:33:09and advise the rest of the group that we need to do this,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- so water is the order of the day. - Absolutely, yes.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- That's the secret. Drink plenty of it.- Water, and plenty of it.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18# It's good for you
0:33:18 > 0:33:23# Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue
0:33:23 > 0:33:26# Off in the blue! #
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Our travel expert Simon Calder is sharing his top tips
0:33:33 > 0:33:36on favourite destinations across the globe.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40This time, it's the Mexican resort of Cancun.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Now an established package-holiday choice,
0:33:44 > 0:33:49this strip of sand off the north-east tip of Mexico has become the most
0:33:49 > 0:33:53popular destination in Latin America for British holiday-makers, thanks
0:33:53 > 0:33:59to its pristine beaches and plentiful sunshine. But what perils await?
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Cancun is a close approximation to paradise,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06but it's also a playground for criminal gangs.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11There's a nasty form of mugging called express kidnapping
0:34:11 > 0:34:15where a group of villains, armed or otherwise, will threaten you
0:34:15 > 0:34:17and take you to a cashpoint.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Only when you've emptied your bank account
0:34:20 > 0:34:23and paid your self-service ransom will they let you go.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30As anywhere, don't put yourself at risk, don't wander down side streets
0:34:30 > 0:34:32and if you're feeling threatened,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36then flag down a taxi or find a crowd.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39But don't let scams like this put you off venturing
0:34:39 > 0:34:43outside your resort and getting a true taste of Mexico, for free.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Even if you're staying in all-inclusive bliss
0:34:49 > 0:34:50on the hotel strip,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54it's worth getting the quick, cheap bus over to the mainland
0:34:54 > 0:34:58and tracking down the Parque De Las Palapas.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02It's where all the locals congregate for free fun,
0:35:02 > 0:35:07including a central stage with free performances most weekends.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10It's as close as you'll get to autentico Mexican life
0:35:10 > 0:35:12in this corner of the nation.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19But as you jet off home, make sure that you don't get stung by red tape.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Lots of Latin American countries have annoying departure taxes,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27and Mexico is one of the most extreme at 900 pesos -
0:35:27 > 0:35:29nearly £50.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32And while some airlines and tour operators include it
0:35:32 > 0:35:35in the price of your ticket, not all of them do.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38Find out if you're going to have to pay extra so you're
0:35:38 > 0:35:42not scrabbling around for pesos while they're calling your flight.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Now, you can tell by all the blue flag
0:35:50 > 0:35:52beaches around the British coast that the water washing
0:35:52 > 0:35:56onto our beaches is cleaner than it's been for a long time.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59But it seems that's still not clean enough.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03Or at least not according to new rules on water quality from the EU.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Many of the UK beaches currently considered fit for bathing
0:36:07 > 0:36:10will suddenly be rated as unsuitable for swimmers,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13and while you might think, "What's not to like about cleaner water?"
0:36:13 > 0:36:17the news has caused huge waves in some of those coastal communities
0:36:17 > 0:36:21who, not unreasonably, fear the impact of visitors being told
0:36:21 > 0:36:23that going for a dip isn't really a good idea.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Long before the package holiday abroad was born,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Britain's coast was THE place to travel to get away from it all.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36And whilst the fashion in swimwear has changed, so too has the quality
0:36:36 > 0:36:38of the water we swim in.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47The English coast is the cleanest since records began, with 99.5% of
0:36:47 > 0:36:53swimming spots passing water quality tests, compared to just 65% in 1988.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56And the water on Porth beach in Cornwall is a major
0:36:56 > 0:37:01draw for visitors of all ages, many of whom come back year after year.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06We've been coming here 20 years and we always end up on this beach.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09It's not too deep for the kids.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13You can get away with a bit of body boarding, bit of surfing.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15We come here every year and I've never had an issue with the sea
0:37:15 > 0:37:17and it not being very clean.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22We've been coming here for 25, 26 years,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and, yeah, it's a lovely beach, it's nice and clean.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29If there are lots of people on the beach, it's good news
0:37:29 > 0:37:32for the businesses in the area.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34If the sands are busy, so are they.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39Kathryn Wason runs the Mermaid pub located on the seafront at Porth.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43The main draw for anyone to come down this area is the beach, and
0:37:43 > 0:37:46we get most of our customers from the beach
0:37:46 > 0:37:47during our busy summer period.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51But locals like Kathryn fear that there could be storms ahead
0:37:51 > 0:37:54because the waters around Porth beach and on all others
0:37:54 > 0:37:57around the UK now have to meet new EU cleanliness standards
0:37:57 > 0:38:02that are twice as tough to reach, and those that don't will have to
0:38:02 > 0:38:05display signs stating that bathing is not advised.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Another place where the waters are being tested
0:38:08 > 0:38:10is around Southend On Sea in Essex.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Matt Higginson works for the Environment Agency.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17He's part of a team testing the pollution levels
0:38:17 > 0:38:20at over 417 beaches right across the UK.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25The revised Bathing Water Directive came fully into force in 2015.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27This makes the bathing quality water standards
0:38:27 > 0:38:31twice as stringent as the previous directive.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Matt and his colleagues take 20 water samples between May
0:38:34 > 0:38:38and September, testing for e-coli and other intestinal bacteria.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43The actual bathing water sample test is relatively straightforward.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45It's taken at a range of tidal states,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49a clean bottle is placed into the water at a 30cm depth,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52this is then taken back to the vans, refrigerated, sent off to
0:38:52 > 0:38:55our laboratories for analysis, and the data is then sent back to us.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57There are many sources of pollution.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01It could come from farming, from water company assets, or from
0:39:01 > 0:39:04misconnections from people's plumbing in domestic properties.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- We're all OK?- Yes. - We're all good?
0:39:09 > 0:39:14But 42 beaches across the UK have been put on an At Risk list
0:39:14 > 0:39:17because it's feared they'll fail these newer EU tests.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21In Devon, Teignmouth Town beach is one of those.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25And Helen Scott from the local tourist board is worried that
0:39:25 > 0:39:28if any town like hers doesn't meet the targets, they'll struggle
0:39:28 > 0:39:31to stay popular with tourists.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35The new regulations have made it very difficult that despite the waters
0:39:35 > 0:39:38being cleaner than they ever have been before it's very difficult, if
0:39:38 > 0:39:40not impossible, for them to meet those new levels
0:39:40 > 0:39:42that they've been set.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45And back on Porth beach, the visitors we spoke to said that
0:39:45 > 0:39:48if a sign were suddenly to go up advising against going
0:39:48 > 0:39:51in the water, it WOULD leave them a little unnerved.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56If there's signs up, warning people away from the beach,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58that's what people come here for, you know, really.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00That would put us off.
0:40:00 > 0:40:01It would put me off,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03it certainly would put me off coming to the beach.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07If it's got a sign on it saying "Don't swim," then, obviously,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09you wouldn't really use it, would you?
0:40:09 > 0:40:13If I saw a sign advising me not to go in I would probably still go in
0:40:13 > 0:40:16but I'd always wear a wet suit,
0:40:16 > 0:40:17and try not to swallow it.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22The testing is now complete -
0:40:22 > 0:40:24and the results have been published online.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26And all three of the beaches we visited
0:40:26 > 0:40:29in Porth, Teignmouth Town, and Southend were deemed
0:40:29 > 0:40:33sufficiently clean, so there is no need to advise bathers to stay away.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Indeed, most other places on the list met the new standards,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40with just 11 beaches that didn't.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43That's also good news for those who like a paddle at the British
0:40:43 > 0:40:47seaside and for the towns whose fortunes rely on it.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50And, for the teams who conducted the tests, it's a relief to find
0:40:50 > 0:40:52such positive results.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55With the improvements to bathing waters we hope we can improve the
0:40:55 > 0:40:59economy with attracting people into the bathing waters around England.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate, you can
0:41:09 > 0:41:14get in touch with us via our Facebook page - BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18our website - bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:41:18 > 0:41:19or e-mail:
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Or if you'd rather send us a letter then our address is:
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Well, of course, the whole point of a holiday
0:41:38 > 0:41:42right from the planning stage is to make you feel good, and really relax,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46so you don't want to spend too long thinking about all the things
0:41:46 > 0:41:48that might go wrong.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Clearly, though, there are some quick basic checks and preparations
0:41:51 > 0:41:55that you can do make sure your trip goes to plan, and then if it doesn't
0:41:55 > 0:41:58that you know the first steps on what to do next.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Equally important is having the confidence that whoever you're
0:42:01 > 0:42:04travelling with has really got your interests at heart.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Which is why I was so particularly taken in the story
0:42:07 > 0:42:10about the safety equipment that not all aircraft carry.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Surely it's a no-brainer that something so easily available,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16and for the big companies, so easily affordable,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18should be on board every single flight.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21And if the fact it isn't on every flight is something that's left you
0:42:21 > 0:42:24scratching your head and wondering why, I have to say the story
0:42:24 > 0:42:26that really had me scratching all over today
0:42:26 > 0:42:28was that report on mosquitoes.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32And I don't envy what that doctor went through one bit in the name of science,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35but at least we do now all know which type of mozzie spray
0:42:35 > 0:42:36is the best one to buy.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38I'm afraid that's all we have time for today,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41but we will be back investigating more of your stories very soon.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- Until then, from all of the team, bye-bye.- Goodbye.- Bye-bye.