Disgusted dad claims he found POO on mattress of Pontin's flat that was 'not fit for a dog' (15 Pics)
James was going away with his mum, wife and son
A dad has spoken of his disgust as his family walked in to a 'filthy' Pontins flat where he says they found POO on a mattress.
James Osborne, 49, said he'd never seen anything like it before, describing the conditions of the accommodation in the Camber Sands branch as "not fit for a dog".
The bus driver said it looked like their rooms had never been cleaned, and smelt like toilets that had not been flushed.
His family, from Grays in Essex, didn't even make it one day before leaving what he felt looked like "a prison".
Speaking to Mirror Online about their horror, James said: "It was absolutely terrible. I have never experienced anything like it.
"As soon as we walked in it was filth.
"There was poo on the mattress - it was disgusting.
"The sofa was really sticky.
"The microwave was dirty with bits of food.
"It had never been cleaned - there was stuff on the floor.
"It smelt of a mixture of a toilet that had not been flushed and damp and mould, it was vile."
James had gone for a summer holiday with his wife Rebecca, 37, four-old-son Clark and his 84-year-old mother Mary.
They had driven about two hours to get to the Pontins in Camber Sands on Monday July 30 and paid £420 for the week.
But the family say they couldn't stand it and checked out the same day.
Instead they went to a nearby caravan park which was "beautiful" - but had to spend another £407 on the alternative accomodation.
"We wanted to take my elderly mother away," James told, speaking of their idea to go to Pontins.
"But it was like prison, it was horrible.
"I kept looking around and thinking 'I really want to try and enjoy the week but I can't'.
"It was like a run down council estate, it was really bad.
"Outside there were smashed up cars in the car park.
"The whole place is just run down. The room was terrible."
James said he started filming the surroundings because he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He said the bushes were overgrown and squashing against a window.
"It would have been impossible to stay," he told.
"We didn't even unpack the car. We went straight to speak to someone at reception."
James claims that the receptionist told him 'we get complaints all the time'.
"I told her it was not fit for a dog," he said.
"She was embarrassed and said sorry."
But he says he replied "I can't stay here, it's disgusting".
James said little Clark just wanted to play football but his dad told him they couldn't stay.
But the dad says even the little boy later began to say 'urgh' at the sight of the complex.
James said he suggested to the receptionist that his family was upgraded, as a way to solve the problem.
But he was shocked when he was apparently told that would not be possible as they already had the 'best apartment'.
He said the complex was 2** but feels it did not even warrant that rating, insisting "we are not snobs"
James said he 'just couldn't be there,' adding that the apartments looked like "little prison blocks".
"The cleaners must have opened the door and walked out again," he said.
James said he was eventually told by reception to go to a specific complaints room.
But the queue of people complaining was so long, and by that point he felt there was nothing that would make him stay.
Instead, he asked to speak to the manager who documented his complaints.
The manager also asked them to email Pontins, James said, which he has done.
He says the company has emailed him back to inform him he will be contacted in 12 days with regards to his complaint.
James and his family are now waiting for their response.
"It's just not fair," he said. "They are taking people's money.
"When you read the brochure, it's so misleading.
"It's not like it says it is."
