BRITISH families could be banned from all-inclusive holidays in a backlash against bogus food poisoning claims, tour operators warn today.

Ambulance chasing firms are behind an ‘embarrassing’ spike in claims from Britons which is said to have cost the holiday industry £40 million.

Rogue firms use touts to encourage travellers to make illness allegations on the basis they can win payouts of between £3,000 and £5,000 per person. The firms take a fLat fee for securing the payout.

Tour operators are warning that anyone found to be making such a claim could face a criminal prosecution or be sued.

Most cases involve all-inclusive resorts. Claimants can then say they only ate at their hotel in a bid to identify it as the source of their supposed bug.

Holidaymakers are being told they can make a claim based on little more evidence than a receipt for a diarrhoea remedy from a resort chemist.

Since spring 2016 travel firm Tui has recorded around 15 times more illness claims than in previous years.

Tui’s UK managing director, Nick Longman, said there has been ‘friction’ in the travel industry because hoteliers have been concerned that tour firms were not doing enough to stop the scam.

‘There’s a distinct risk that if this carries on unabated, the hoteliers will say to us either “We don’t want to work with the British market” or “We’re not going to offer you all-inclusive”,’ he said.

‘That would be a terrible thing for the British customer.’

Mr Longman described the situation as ‘totally embarrassing’ because it is only ‘the British customers who are complaining’.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jetholidays

Jet2 chief Steve Heapy said: ‘We take genuine claims very seriously. But the food bug fraudsters are fooling customers into thinking they can make a claim even when they weren’t ill without any consequences, which is not true.’

Thomas Cook’s UK managing director, Chris Mottershead, also warned that the scam could lead to the end of all-inclusive holidays for the UK market. ‘Hoteliers will stop British customers coming into their hotels,’ he added.

Trade body organisation Abta is urging the Government to close a loophole which it says is encouraging the scam. It claims legislation designed to halt the surge in fraudulent whiplash claims – a cap on fees that can be charged by law firms pursuing personal injury cases – has fuelled the rise in travel sickness reports because it does not apply to incidents overseas.

It also warned that holidaymakers pursuing fake or exaggerated claims ‘risk ending up in jail either in the UK or abroad’.