An inquest into the holiday hotel death of a 19-year-old man with a severe peanut allergy has been postponed for another seven months, causing significant distress to his family. Relatives of Idris Qayyum, from west London, blame package tour operator Love Holidays for neglect after he appeared to suffer a fatal anaphylactic reaction following a dessert at the Marti Myra Hotel in Antalya in June 2024.
Court Hearing Delays
His mother and sister attended a remotely held court hearing on the day the full inquest had been scheduled to take place. The family claims Mr Qayyum repeatedly asked waiters whether any puddings contained peanuts, both in English and via Google Translate in Turkish, and was assured they were safe. However, within minutes of eating, he felt nauseous and returned to his hotel room with his travelling friend.
A coroner challenged the travel firm over ongoing delays in presenting evidence during the 90-minute pre-inquest review hearing. She set provisional new dates for mid-December, while the family's lawyer expressed their concerns. Valerie Charbit, assistant coroner for west London, highlighted immense pressures on the court system and rejected Love Holiday's request to extend the deadline for further information until September.
Family's Grief
Mr Qayyum, diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy as a toddler, was studying to become an electrician and was on his first foreign holiday without his family. His friend urgently video-called his mother, Ayeshah Bathia, who desperately instructed emergency crews to administer the EpiPen as she watched them perform CPR. Less than 25 minutes later, his heart stopped, and he was declared dead.
Investigations continue into the ingredients of the cakes on the menu, with suggestions the hotel disputes that peanuts were included, claiming they were only ordered as bar snacks. Concerns were raised about ingredient lists and potential cross-contamination in the hotel's kitchens. Fellow guests have provided witness statements, but two will face follow-up questions.
Legal Proceedings
Ian Denham, counsel for the family, expressed alarm that Love Holidays had not concluded its investigation and could not provide a timeline. He stated, 'The family find this deeply concerning. Love Holidays provides holidays for UK consumers, from which they profit. We accept it's commonplace to have contracts with foreign hotels, but the fact is we've gone on so long, and Love Holidays have not investigated the death of one of their customers, and they continue to market this hotel.'
It emerged that Love Holidays has been working with an intermediary, Swiss company OTS International, to liaise with the hotel. Imogen Todd, representing Love Holidays, said the investigation was ongoing with no particular conclusion date. She requested a September deadline, but the assistant coroner called for some evidence within a week and follow-ups in a month. Ms Charbit said, 'You'll understand all coroner's courts have real difficulty with listing cases. This absolutely must proceed in December.'
Mother's Anguish
Ms Bhatia previously told the Daily Mail, 'Our lives have been shattered forever. To lose our son aged 19 is the worst tragedy any family could face. But to lose him in circumstances where we were not able to be there to help him is very hard to bear. And to lose him knowing that he had made every effort to protect himself from a harm to which he knew he was vulnerable is even worse.'
Mr Qayyum had taken his EpiPen, but it remains unclear why it did not prevent his death. Ms Bhatia added, 'There was a 20 to 25 minute window from when he ate the dessert and when his heart stopped. Idris was always really vigilant with his allergy. He would always read the packaging of anything he was going to consume. He was really sensible.'
A Love Holidays spokesperson said, 'We are deeply saddened to hear of Mr Qayyum's passing and would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we are conducting a thorough investigation with the hotel involved as a matter of urgency. As Mr Qayyum's family have now instructed lawyers, we are unable to provide any further comment.'
