A HOLIDAYMAKER left disabled after an accident on a slide in a water park has been told she won't get compensation.

Linzi Higgins, 36, broke her collar bone and two ribs and damaged her back on the water slide in Egypt.

Mrs Higgins, a mum-of-one from Stockport, now walks with a stick and has had to give up her job as a shop manager due to her injuries.

But travel giant First Choice have told her she has no claim for compensation against them - even though she booked her holiday with them, took out their travel insurance. and booked the water park trip through one of the company's reps.

Company officials have cited a little-known clause which means that responsibility passes to the excursion provider at the Sharm El Sheikh resort.

Mrs Higgins says there was no mention of the relevant regulations in her insurance policy and no-one told her about them when she bought the holiday or booked tickets for the water park.

She said: "I am distraught. I used to be a fun-loving young woman and now I'm like an old lady. I've lost my job. And my partner has had to give up a lot of his work as a taxi driver to care for me. I was so careful to take out an insurance policy that would cover us in all events and I bought the water park tickets through the tour operator because they say it is safer.

"No-one ever made it clear to me that I would not be covered under those circumstances."

She was injured when someone went down the slide behind her and crashed into her.

First Choice has told her that any claim for negligence would have to be taken under Egyptian law against Egypt-based excursion provider Wings Tours. But insurance experts warned that it would be costly to do so.

She may be able to claim some money under the personal accident cover in her insurance policy but has been advised that she is not likely to satisfy the strict criteria.

A First Choice spokesman said: "First Choice was merely acting as an agent for Wings Tours, the excursion provider. Mrs Higgins would need to pursue any claim for damages directly with them, as the excursion does not form part of the holiday package as defined by the Package Travel Regulations 1992."

Nobody at Wings Tours was available for comment.

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