Rats, mould and faeces on the walls - inside Butlin's Minehead

People who have stayed at Butlin's in Minehead this summer have described filthy accommodation conditions with mould on bedding, faeces on the walls and even insects in their rooms.

After ITV News reported on one family's experience of fleas in their apartment earlier in the season, more have come forward to report what they've experienced.

Butlin's has apologised to those who have complained but says the majority of guests have had no problems. The company also says it is upgrading accommodation throughout the resort.

However, more than 20 people have spoken to ITV News about the conditions they experienced, with some providing photographic and video evidence of ants inside rooms and rats roaming around the grounds outside.

Many have also reported that they have struggled to receive full refunds.

Karl Follett, from Taunton, says he found sharp pins on the floor of his room Credit: Karl Follett

Karl Follett, who lives in Taunton in Somerset, says his holiday in August was ruined after they entered the apartment to find mould, rubbish and waste from previous guests and pins on the floor.

He said: “Don’t get me wrong, we had a good time and the holiday was alright, however, we spent the whole time [with] me on the phone trying to find out what the hell was going on and wondering if we’re moving, not moving. So we didn’t really settle.”

Francesca Toms, from Barnstaple in Devon, says she had a similar experience this summer.

She said: “You make exceptions when you know a place is busy. You, kind of, expect it to be a little bit used but when we entered the bathroom it was shocking.

"The grout was really filthy, there were visible hairs left all over the floor, dirty marks, the smell of urine was overwhelming. It was really, really awful.”

A number of people who spoke to ITV News wished to remain anonymous, but talked about some of the things they experienced.

One person said: “Both rooms were visibly filthy and smelled. The carpet in the twin room was wet and I don’t mean damp - it was wet. The floor was dirty with hairs and there was poo on the toilet wall.”

Another said: “As I entered the bathroom the ants flocked to me and covered my arms it was disgusting. Our first and only holiday this year was ruined.”

One said: “On arrival, the chalet smelled horrible, I had to go and buy air freshener and we saw so many rats across the site.”

One person took photos of ants crawling around their room

The reports at Minehead come after families complained their holidays have been ruined, after a suspected outbreak of norovirus at the company's Skegness resort.

All of the comments and complaints received were put to Butlin’s. In response, a spokesperson said: “We are truly sorry to hear some guests have had a bad experience during their recent summer holidays.

"Whilst the majority of the 80,000 plus guests at Minehead this summer have enjoyed their holidays, the issues raised fall below the high standards we set ourselves.

"We’d like to reassure all guests that we have strict cleaning and hygiene measures in place throughout the resort which are regularly monitored and have been reviewed by the local authorities.

"We’re also investing significantly in upgrading our accommodation in Minehead to further improve guest experience.”   

Butlin’s also said for the year as a whole their satisfaction scores in Minehead are significantly up year-on-year.

"Over the past year, the company says it has invested £6million into the accommodation at Minehead, upgrading almost 600 units since the project began and will continue with further investment.

A former Butlin’s employee spoke to ITV News and said the company had recently found it difficult to recruit cleaners.

"This was put to the business, which said recruitment in the hospitality industry continues to be challenging, but it has a “sufficient team with a balance of our own team and local contractors. We continue to recruit to fill any additional roles needed”.