British girl, 3, dies on holiday of suspected food poisoning

Lily Gibson was taken by her parents to a walk-in medical centre and given painkillers, but she later died. Photo / via GoFundMe

A 3-year-old girl from the UK died after falling ill at a Turkish holiday amid concerns about food poisoning, an inquest has heard.

Lily Gibson was taken by her parents to a walk-in medical centre and given painkillers, but she later died.

The tragedy happened last August on a trip booked through Thomas Cook to the Bodrum resort in Mugla, Turkey.

A coroner at a pre-inquest hearing in Sheffield asked Thomas Cook to provide information about cleanliness and food safety standards at the four-star hotel, a popular destination for British families. The results of a post-mortem examination have not been revealed.

Lawyers representing Lily's parents - Lisa and Chris Gibson, of Halfway, near Sheffield - reportedly want to investigate whether the child could have contracted a bacterial infection such as E.coli, salmonella or shigella. Mr Gibson told the hearing: "We just want to know what's happened."

Friends and family have raised more than $8000 for the Gibsons, with one relative describing the tragedy as "the worst possible scenario imaginable".

The relative said: "Without any explanation, a three-year-old beautiful, happy baby girl was taken from a kind, loving family.

"Lily passed away with absolutely no warning whatsoever and there was no way of preparing for the loss. To lose a child under any circumstances is horrific, to lose a child while on a family holiday when it should be a time of joy and love is hard to even fathom.'

The coroner's court heard that Lily was taken to a walk-in centre with "yellowing" of the skin - a symptom of jaundice.

The parents were given painkillers for her and sent away. Assistant coroner Professor Robert Forrest said there had been a reported anecdotal increase in illnesses at the hotel around the time of the Gibsons' holiday.

He said: "The evidence of poor food safety at the hotel and the possibility that Lily died as a consequence of a food-related illness provides justification for additional inquiries of Thomas Cook."

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: "We have provided the coroner with all the information we have been able to gather from the hotel and healthcare facilities."