
Mum's fury at Butlin's 'nightmare' holiday with blood on bed and half empty beer
The family had a 'holiday from hell' at Butlin's in Skegness after finding blood on the mattress, leftover beer bottles and more unpleasant discoveries
A family's trip to Butlin's ended as a "nightmare", with the unhappy customers making a string of unpleasant of discovering, they have claimed.
Tiffany Martin from Strelley was left aghast during her recent trip to Butlin's in Skegness. The mum claimed that she found blood on the mattress and encountered leftover beer bottles outside following an adults' "big weekender" event.
Having booked their four-night break for just over £90, Tiffany, her partner, and children were keen for some quality time together, expecting the high standards they'd experienced over their 17-year history of visits to the resort.
The horror began almost immediately upon arrival, with Tiffany claiming that she found beer bottles with Budweiser, disposable vapes, and even a rogue pair of handcuffs scattered around their accommodation—relics from the previous weekend's adult festivities that remained unattended days into her stay.
"Obviously they had had an adults' weekend the weekend before and there were bottles with Budweiser, some still with beer in, right outside of the apartment and no one came to pick it up despite me telling them it was there," Tiffany told Lincolnshire Live.
Her dissatisfaction grew when entering their supposedly ready room, only to be greeted by untucked beds—a surprise giving the typically impeccable preparations she had become accustomed to.
Tiffany was shocked to find coffee splattered down her fridge front and uncleaned dishes in the dishwasher upon inspecting her holiday apartment. One of her children discovered a "soaking wet" bed, which cleaning staff agreed to replace.
However, Tiffany noted stains on other mattresses too. The holidaymaker, aged 43, lamented: "It's not what you want when you go away for a family holiday."
Now, Tiffany is keen to advise others to inspect their beds thoroughly, saying: "You don't think to do it, you just think it will be really nice, but just check it as you don't want kids sleeping on that."
Tiffany, a loyal customer of Butlin's for over 17 years, expressed her disappointment: "It never used to be like it. It used to be lovely, and just lately, it's got really bad, and I don't know why. I don't know if it's because they are focusing on adult weekends and it's not really about the kids anymore, but it doesn't seem to be how it used to be."
In response to the claims, Butlin's quickly addressed the family's grievances and presented a £45 voucher for goodwill, which Tiffany said they have rejected. She also expressed frustration about the rebranding of accommodation titles, which she found frustrating.
"They changed the names so when I booked it, I didn't realise where I was and ended up right at the bottom of the resort." This proved a particular problem as she has mobility challenges due to a spinal issue.
Feeling that these continuous problems "ruined the holiday" the family decided to cut their break short and leave on Thursday, May 1.
A spokesperson for Butlin's said: "We'd recommend any guests needing additional support use our dedicated specialist booking team to ensure we can accommodate their needs when on resort. In this case, the guest booked directly via our website and we were unable to move them once on resort. We're very sorry for the experience this guest had with their accommodation which falls well below our standards and as an apology we've offered a gesture of goodwill."

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Wales Online
04-06-2025
- Wales Online
Burglar thought he'd covered his tracks but he didn't account for the cat flap
Burglar thought he'd covered his tracks but he didn't account for the cat flap Ryan Thomas committed two burglaries, stole two cars and carried out a ram raid. But it was a cat flap that proved his undoing Ryan Thomas (Image: Gwent Police ) A creeper burglar was caught after leaving his fingerprints on a cat flap at the house he broke into, a court has heard. Ryan Thomas stole a car from the house and used it to drive to another property from which he stole a second car which he then used in a ramraid on a shop. Swansea Crown Court heard the defendant had a history of committing burglaries and car offences, and that, by the time police identified him as being a suspect in the burglaries, he was already serving a prison sentence for smashing his way into a different shop and stealing thousands of pounds worth of tobacco and e-cigarettes. Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said that on the night of March 31, 2023, in the early hours of the following morning the defendant drove to west Wales from his home in the Merthyr area before breaking into a house in Broad Street in Llandovery. He said the defendant took car keys and a box of bottles of Budweiser beer from the property before stealing the householder's Toyota Yaris vehicle. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter The court heard the victim was unaware her house had been burgled until she woke up but by then Thomas had driven the Yaris to Llandybie where he then broke into a house in Ammanford Road and stole the keys to a Volvo S80 and then the car itself. He used the Volvo to ramraid a shop at the Petro Express garage in Glanaman. Article continues below The prosecutor said that after using the car to damage the shutters of the store the defendant entered the premises wearing plastic bags on his hands and stole cigarettes and alcohol worth up to £5,000 as well as cash from the till before driving off. Thomas then drove the damaged Volvo to Swansea where he torched and abandoned it. The prosecutor said the three burglaries were separately reported to police by the victims, and investigations were launched which subsequently linked them. The court heard crime scene investigators recovered fingerprints from a cat flap at the first property and found the intruder had been able to access the door handle by putting his arm through the flap. The prints were matched to Thomas. Read about the high-tech police forensic lab which has helped to crack some of Wales' most serious crimes The court heard that the Yaris stolen in the first burglary was found around 100ft from the scene of the second burglary - the box of Bud was still in the vehicle and the defendant's fingerprints were also recovered from several of the bottles. Video doorbell footage recovered by officers investigating the second house burglary caught the defendant entering the hallway of the property. Meanwhile, part of the number plate of the Volvo was found at the scene of the garage ramraid. The prosecutor said that by the time police had identified Thomas as a suspect in the three burglaries he was already serving a sentence at HMP Parc, and he said officers "met with considerable difficulties trying to interview him". It was not until July, 2024, that they were able to speak to the defendant, and he answered "no comment" to all questions asked. Ryan Thomas, aged 30, of Darren Las, Merthyr Vale, Merthyr, had previously pleaded guilty to two dwelling burglaries, a commercial burglary, and aggravated vehicle taking when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has previous convictions for 54 offences including domestic and commercial burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, and assaults occasioning actual bodily harm. In August, 2024, Thomas was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he and another man smashed their way into Maesycwmmer Stores in Caerphilly and stole thousands of pounds worth of tobacco and e-cigarettes, before leading police on a high-speed chase through Merthyr in a car fitted with false plates. Hywel Davies, for Thomas, said it had taken police a year to interview the defendant, and then nearly another year to charge him. He said the defendant had been putting his time in custody to good use by doing numerous courses, and he said his client had a young daughter who he "misses very very much" and with whom he hoped to regain contact upon his eventual release. Article continues below With one-quarter discounts for his guilty pleas, recorder Christopher Felstead sentenced Thomas to 31 months in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Thomas was banned from driving for a total of five years and three months, and must pass an extended test before he can get a licence.


South Wales Guardian
01-06-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Burglar ram-raided petrol station for cigarettes and alcohol
Ryan Thomas appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting a spree of burglaries in Carmarthenshire which saw him steal cars from two homes before ram-raiding a garage. Thomas broke in to a home on Broad Street in Llandovery in the early hours of April 1, 2023, by reaching through a disused cat flap to open the door, prosecutor Dean Pulling said. He stole a box of Budweiser and the keys to a Toyota Yaris, and a neighbour reported hearing the car driving off at around 1.30am. Thomas drove the car some 18.5 miles, and it was found abandoned in the Llandybie area having sustained 'some damage'. After ditching the car, Thomas broke in to a nearby home on Ammanford Road and stole the keys to a Volvo S80. The court heard Thomas drove the Volvo to Petro Express petrol station on Cwmamman Road in Glanaman, where he committed 'a ram-raid style burglary' at just after 4am. Mr Pulling said Thomas was seen putting what appeared to be plastic bags over his hands and head, before attempting to lift the shutter to the garage's shop. After being unable to lift it, he reversed the car into the shutter 'a number of times', before turning around and driving into it front-on twice. This smashed through the shutter, and Thomas went inside and swiped cigarettes, alcohol, and cash from the tills. After around 40 minutes, the defendant fled in the Volvo. The car was recovered in the Swansea area, Mr Pulling said it had extensive damage and an attempt had been made to set fire to the interior. The ram raid had caused damage worth £17,820 to the petrol station. Thomas' fingerprints were found on the door and cat flap of the first home, as well as on the empty beer bottles left in the abandoned Yaris. He was seen entering the second home on the doorbell camera. However by the time officers were able to link him to the burglaries, he had been jailed for unrelated offences. The defendant, who is currently a serving prisoner at HMP Cardiff, pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary and one of aggravated vehicle taking. The court heard that Thomas, from the Merthyr Tydfil area, had 54 previous convictions and was subject to a suspended sentence and banned from driving at the time of these offences. 'The best mitigation in this case is his credit for a guilty plea,' said Hywel Davies, appearing for Thomas. Mr Davies said it was 'accepted and unavoidable' that the defendant would face a lengthy prison sentence for his offending. He said there had been a year-long delay in the defendant being interviewed, which had also led to a delay in the case coming to court. Mr Davies added that Thomas was now working to address his substance misuse issues in prison and was undergoing weekly drug testing. The judge, Recorder Christopher Felstead, sentenced Thomas to a total of 31 months. He was also banned from driving for five years and three months, and must pass an extended re-test.


Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Daily Mail
'Very wealthy' businesswoman who was 'infatuated' with her burglar boyfriend is jailed for insurance fraud after he masterminded £350,000 raid on her home
A 'very wealthy' businesswoman who was 'infatuated' with her burglar boyfriend has been jailed after she fraudulently claimed on insurance for a £350,000 raid that he masterminded on her home. Emma O'Shea was regarded as a 'soft target' by Dean Ryan, who hired an associate to break into the house and make off with 'high value' diamond jewellery, designer handbags, and envelopes containing thousands of pounds of cash. But after discovering the raid, the 46-year-old - who refused to believe her partner was involved - tried to con insurers into paying out before fleeing to the Caribbean to avoid having to appear at his trial. Jailing the mother-of-one for 30 months, a judge branded O'Shea 'selfish' over her insurance fraud following the raid on her £900,000 home in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It was heard that O'Shea - who now lives in a £1.5 million home - was 'infatuated' with her partner at the time, business owner Ryan, 41. Among the stolen items from O'Shea's home was a Tiffany engagement ring worth £15,000, Tiffany platinum diamond earrings worth £16,000, and a Tiffany platinum diamond ring worth £22,000. Tanzanite diamond earrings worth £43,000 were swiped, a chain diamond necklace worth £58,000 was taken, as were diamond earrings worth £34,000 and a £27,000 round diamond necklace. Several Chanel handbags, each worth up to £10,000, were stolen as well as Rolex watches worth £7,300, plus sapphire diamond rings and eternity bands worth £4,000 and £8,425, and loose diamonds, worth up to £14,000. After Ryan orchestrated the raid, O'Shea refused to believe he was behind the burglary and tried to 'protect' him when he faced justice. The couple agreed to trick O'Shea's home insurance provider by smashing a window and claiming it was broken during the break-in, prosecutors said. When Ryan was due to stand trial for the burglary, O'Shea - who was still seen as the victim at the time - caused the case to collapse by failing to appear in court. She hid out in Barbados to avoid giving evidence against Ryan and intimidated her housekeeper, who was also due to give evidence, by warning her 'you won't get another penny'. Mother of one O'Shea denied her offending but on Thursday was jailed for 30 months for conspiracy to commit fraud, perverting the course of justice, and witness intimidation. Her mother, Sarah O'Shea, 70, went on trial alongside her for perverting the course of justice - by telling her daughter to stay in the Caribbean - and she was sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for 12 months. Ryan, who pleaded guilty at the start of the trial in January this year, was jailed for four years. He admitted conspiracy to commit burglary of a dwelling, conspiracy to commit fraud, and perverting the course of justice. Some of the luxury items stolen in the raid were taken out of O'Shea's safe, which was unlocked with a key He is already serving a nine-year sentence for an armed robbery which took place in December 2021. Ryan's associate Gary Cleeve, 45, who burgled the house, denied conspiracy to commit burglary of a dwelling and has been sentenced to three years in prison. Both Ryan and Cleeve refused to attend the sentencing at Portsmouth Crown Court. Sentencing O'Shea, Judge William Ashworth said that she 'acted in her own personal selfish self-interest' when she pleaded not guilty to the charges against her, placing a 'burden' on her family. He said: 'Sadly, Miss Emma O'Shea is still in denial about her involvement in these offences. 'She's very wealthy indeed, and found herself infatuated by Dean Ryan. He found it convenient to have a relationship with her and live under her roof. 'There's no doubt he saw her as a soft target in relation to the burglary before using Miss O'Shea as his own alibi and then playing the role of affronted boyfriend when the burglary was discovered. 'However, when Miss O'Shea realised that the burglar hadn't damaged the property so that her insurance policy was invalid, it wasn't Mr Ryan who was asking her to fraudulently do the window break - quite the reverse. 'It was her asking Mr Ryan to do it for her, which he did. 'She then proceeded to ask Wioletta Krol [her housekeeper] to back up her story that the window had been broken and then hoped that she could then recover the full sum from the insurance company.' It was heard that Ms Krol had £12,000 in cash stolen but O'Shea has only given her £7,000 back. The court heard that Ryan moved into O'Shea's townhouse in the Southsea area of Portsmouth after they struck up a relationship in 2021. The eight-minute burglary which prosecutor Dale Sullivan said took place in the afternoon of March 20, 2022, was committed while Ryan was on bail for armed robbery. Ryan has had 16 convictions for 34 offences committed between 1999 and 2004. He colluded with Cleeve, who raided the property while the couple were out. Mr Sullivan said O'Shea was alerted to the burglary thanks to an alert from her Ring doorbell. Worried she had been burgled, O'Shea called police but also called her housekeeper Mrs Krol asking her to check her home as she was closer. Mrs Krol found two ladders propped against the back wall and - crucially - that the dressing room window was open and had not been smashed. Approximately £350,000 worth of high value jewellery including Tanzanite and Tiffany diamonds, Chanel handbags, Rolex watches and cash were removed from the property by Cleeve. Subsequently Mrs Krol heard Ryan and O'Shea speaking about the window being open and agreeing they would smash it so it would look better for the insurance company. The following day, when Mrs Krol went to O'Shea's address to work, she found that the window had been smashed. Mr Sullivan said O'Shea's insurance policy did not cover theft unless there was force used to enter and no force was used to exit. By the end of April 2022, police arrested Ryan and Cleeve. O'Shea told police that she did not accept that her partner Ryan was in any way involved, and asked that he could remain living at the house. In July 2023 Ryan and Cleeve were due to be tried at Portsmouth Crown Court and Mrs Krol and O'Shea were due to give evidence. Mother of one O'Shea had told the court she was due to be on holiday in France at the time of the trial but was served with a witness summons, ordering her to attend. She instead went to Barbados at the time of the trial - but told the UK court service a 'flat out lie' that she was 'on the South Pacific'. The trial had to be aborted after O'Shea failed to attend. Mr Sullivan said it emerged O'Shea had been communicating with Ryan while he was in custody and relaying information to her daughter in Barbados. Mrs O'Shea urged her daughter to remain outside of the UK while the trial took place. Mrs Krol told the court in a victim impact statement that O'Shea was 'like family' to her before the burglary took place. Sarah O'Shea will have to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work as part of her sentence.