Violent stomach bug sweeps through four-star Tenerife holiday resort leaving dozens of British holidaymakers ill... yet First Choice dismiss it as 'holiday tummy'

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A violent stomach bug sweeping through a Tenerife holiday resort has left dozens of British holidaymakers ill.

Tour operator First Choice are investigating the outbreak at the Tenerife Holiday Village after cases of cryptosporidium were recorded.

This includes violent stomach cramps, diarrhoea and severe nausea.

The Tenerife Holiday Village is dealing with an outbreak of cryptosporidium after holidaymakers fell ill

Amanda Brannen, who is staying at the four-star resort in the Playa de la Arena, told The Sun that First Choice representatives have labelled the outbreak as 'holiday tummy.'

'Every other person you meet has a sick child. There must be 50 cases.' 

The Sun reports that parents are furious as 'the pools are still open' despite the bug being able to spread through water. 

Some holidaymakers claim the pools have been regularly closed and chemically treated for around 45 minutes to an hour after people had been defecating in them before reopening. 

And now doctors have been drafted in to the resort to deal with the sick Britons. 

Ms Brannen has said her two children, eight-year-old Luke and four-year-old Bethany have both contracted the illness.

The admin worker from Darlington paid £4,500 for a two-week stay at the Canary Islands resort.

The bug sweeping throught the resort in Tenerife is believed to be sourced at the pools (file photo, not actual hotel swimming pool)

A spokesperson for First Choice told MailOnline Travel: 'We can confirm that a very small number of guests staying at the Holiday Village Tenerife reported that they had been unwell, with symptoms similar to a virus.

'First Choice closely monitors and regularly audits all the hotels to which we operate to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained in line with industry standards. 

'As a precautionary measure the hotel has an independent expert carrying out checks.

'We would like to reassure customers that their well-being remains our priority at all times.' 

The outbreak has left people planning on staying at the resort in two minds to travel.

Writing on Twitter, user, 'Tim,' says that he is 'on the point of cancelling as his 'kids safety comes first.'

Head of travel Nick Harris of Simpson Millar solicitors, who are handling claims for affected holidaymakers at the resort told MailOnline Travel: ' I have had many calls from people who have fallen ill at this resort. Some of them have spent most of their holidays either confined to their beds or stuck on the toilet. 

'We have heard queues of up to an hour of people complaining to reps about their relatives illness. 

'From what I've been told the pools have been closed for short periods due to people defecating in them.

'Cryptosporidium can have very serious long term health implications. In some cases people have had to have part of their bowel removed due to complications brought on by gastric illness. 

'Holiday companies need to ensure that hygiene standards are improved and holidaymakers are not subject to water borne illnesses.'