'We were bitten by bedbugs at BUTLIN'S': Family's nightmare during £700 Halloween-themed break after their two year old son was bitten 'hundreds' of times all over his body

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A family who spent £700 on a Butlin's 'Spooktober' mini-break suffered a nightmare after their two-year-old son was bitten hundreds of times by bedbugs.  

Laura and Adam Perona-Wright brought their two-year-old son, Vinnie, on the break to the Minehead resort in Somerset. 

The couple were told the half-term break would be 'frightfully good fun'. 

The £728 break asked: 'Looking for a good cackle this spooky season? We've got plenty of tricks (and treats) up our sleeve…but beware! Ghosts and ghouls lurk in the shadows.' 

Two days after arriving at the resort, Ms Perona-Wright noticed bites behind Vinnie's ears and across his back, which she initially ascribed to midges.  

Laura (pictured) and Adam Perona-Wright brought their two-year-old son, Vinnie, on the break to the Minehead resort

Ms Perona-Wright took photographs of the bugs, which she said bit her son hundreds of times

Vinnie's parents said he had bites all over his body, including behind his ears

However, within 24 hours the situation deteriorated. She told MailOnline: 'Every area of his little body not covered by clothes was covered in bumps and scratches.

'His head, neck, arms, behind his knees, his groin, his back – he was in pain from scratching and upset.

'I looked under his bed sheet and found a very worn, disgusting mattress protector.'

Ms Perona-Wright, 38, a graphic designer from Plymouth, complained to reception staff and the family left their 'Gold apartment' for the day to let staff investigate. They were later told no insects had been found.

Unconvinced, Laura and husband Adam, a 42-year-old project manager, conducted their own investigation.

'I lifted up the sheets to discover they had replaced the disgusting mattress protector but not even vacuumed the mattress,' she said.

'It was covered in hair and sand and immediately – I mean within 20 seconds of looking – I found a living and a dead bed bug.

'It became clear that the bed was absolutely riddled with bed bugs, lots of them. My poor boy was pickled – he had suffered literally hundreds of bites.

'I counted 30 just behind one ear.'

The couple decided to move Vinnie to sleep with his sister Leni, 4, in her room for the rest of their stay.

'She hadn't been nibbled so her room was the safest option,' said Laura.

'They had great fun keeping each other up, all night, in-between him scratching himself raw.'

It is the third time in three months that guest complaints about insect infestations at Minehead Butlin's have emerged.

In July, Lisa Gray of North Petherton, Somerset, told how she and her ten-year-old daughter Hannah fled their apartment after finding a sofa 'totally infested with fleas'.

Vinnie also suffered bites across his back, legs and arms, his mother told MailOnline 

It is the third complaint about insect infestations at the Butlin's branch in three months

Butlin's told MailOnline it was still investigating the case but had found no evidence of bed bugs in the apartment

Vinnie's parents found a 'disgusting' mattress protector and said they saw bedbugs within a few seconds of looking

The following month Courtney-Jade Mildenhall, 21, of Oxford, revealed she had sustained 150 bed bug bites after staying in a Comfort apartment.

Ms Perona-Wright said she was unaware of those instances and had stayed at Butlin's twice before without a problem.

'It's a lot of fun for the kids,' she said. 'Our apartment looked clean and lovely. We paid for top-end accommodation because it was by a lake and we could feed the ducks from our balcony.

'I feel we should get a refund, or at least a part-refund. But they haven't been in touch other than to say they are investigating. What is there to investigate? I've sent them all the information and photos of Vinnie's bites.

'It seems like they knew there was a problem and thought a new mattress protector would hide it.

'They didn't look properly, they didn't spray and a mattress protector isn't going to bother the bed bugs.

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 'I understand that problems like this can happen. But the lack of response, not handling this sensibly, this is what is so infuriating. Surely, someone is staying in that apartment right now.

'We are still angry and Vinnie is still itching.'

She went on: 'As parents know, unpacking from a break is hard work. Unpacking everything and washing everything at 70 degrees, which shrinks clothes, and then spraying down our bags knowing the little critters could easily move into our home has been an added stress.'

Butlin's told MailOnline it was still investigating the case but had found no evidence of bed bugs in the apartment.

A spokesperson said: 'We're very sorry to hear about Laura and her family's recent experience on resort and will be contacting them directly to discuss the issues raised.

'We've been working with a pest control specialist to investigate and can confirm we've had no further reports of bedbugs from guests staying in the same unit of accommodation.

'We want to reassure guests that we have strict cleaning and hygiene policies in place, including the identification and subsequent treatment for preventing bed bugs.'