The devastated family of a teen with serious peanut allergies is launching a lawsuit against a travel firm after their son’s untimely death. Idris Qayyum, 19, suffered a catastrophic anaphylactic reaction after consuming a dessert in Antalya, Turkey, which staff had assured was peanut-free.

After suffering from the reaction on the first night of their weeklong vacation, he retreated to his hotel room to use his Epi-Pen. Tragically, the West London teenager passed away in the early hours of the morning in his hotel room.

The bereaved family is now pursuing legal action against Love Holidays, the agency that arranged their June trip to southern Turkey. They claim that if Love Holidays and its partners had received adequate training and not misled Idris into believing the dessert was safe, their son might still be alive today.

His mother Ayeshah Bhatia said: “Our lives have been shattered forever. To lose our son aged 19 is the worst tragedy any family could face. To lose him in circumstances where we were not able to be there to help him is very hard to bear. 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. We believe Love Holidays should have done more to keep Idris safe and that is why, for his sake and for the sake of others with food allergies, we are taking this legal action.”

She added: “Tour operators must do more to ensure the hotels where they accommodate their guests are safe for people with food allergies.”

According to legal representatives, on the first evening of his trip, Mr Qayyum and a friend visited the hotel’s rooftop terrace where drinks and dessert platters were being served. Aware of his severe peanut allergy, Mr Qayyum made it “very clear” to the staff serving snacks about his condition. Despite being assured by a waiter that the dessert was peanut-free, he used Google Translate to confirm this in Turkish.

After receiving sufficient assurances, Mr Qayyum consumed the desserts but immediately felt unwell. Recognising the symptoms from previous reactions, he rushed to his room and administered his Epi-Pen.

Tragically, Mr Qayyum passed away in his hotel room in the early hours. In light of this horrific experience, his family is urging travel companies to ensure that hotels they collaborate with take greater measures to protect guests with severe food allergies.

The travel claims team at Leigh Day allege that Love Holidays, based in Hammersmith in west London, is liable for negligence claims on behalf of its suppliers.

The company claims that the holiday operator and their suppliers gave incorrect information about food allergens, misleading Mr Qayyum about the contents of his meal – which staff should have known would be harmful to him. It’s also alleged they failed to provide adequate allergy training to staff, implement measures to avoid cross-contamination of food and administer medical care to Mr Qayyum following his reaction.

Colin Murphy, the Leigh Day solicitor representing Mr Qayyum’s family, stated: “We are supporting Idris’ family in a legal claim against Love Holidays. The loss of their son while on holiday in Turkey has been devastating. Holidaymakers should be able to go on holiday safe in the knowledge that measures will be taken by hotels that work with UK tour operators to protect them in case of food allergies.”

A spokesperson for Love Holidays responded: “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.”