A ROMANTIC Newport couple say their dream engagement at a luxury holiday resort was wrecked when the groom-to-be was struck by suspected salmonella poisoning.

Joe Kilgannon, 24, and bride-to-be Cezanne Bannon, 22, are suing a holiday company claiming their engagement at the plush Mexican hotel was ruined by the chronic food poisoning.

Newly-engaged Mr Kilgannon said he fell ill just days into the sunshine break at the five-star resort - and had hospital treatment for salmonella poisoning back in the UK.

The fork lift driver said: “Our trip to Mexico was meant to be a romantic break for us to celebrate our engagement together. But it was completely ruined after I became seriously ill.

"We were very disappointed with the standards at the hotel, especially at it was meant to be a five star resort."

The couple paid more than £2,000 for the stay at the Grand Bahia Principe in Riviera Maya, Mexico, in December 2014 for their engagement celebrations.

Mr Kilgannon added: “Nothing can turn back the clock and make amends for our ruined holiday but we hope that with the help of our legal team we will be able to find the answers we are seeking as to how I fell so seriously ill.”

A Thomas Cook spokeswoman has confirmed there is an investigation for "serious and, at present, unsubstantiated allegations" about the hotel stay.

The spokeswoman added: “Mr Kilgannon did not raise any concerns with our reps or the hotel management at the time. As it appears that his symptoms arose several days after his return to the UK, this would suggest that the illness was unconnected to his holiday in Mexico."

The couple also claim ants and insects were all over their original hotel room which necessitated a room change.

A few days into the holiday, Mr Kilgannon began to feel unwell in the middle of the night and his condition rapidly deteriorated.

He was hospitalised after arriving back home and after further tests he was diagnosed with salmonella poisoning. The couple have instructed international personal injury experts to investigate the cause of the illness after he began to suffer from abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.

Their lawyer Jennifer Downing, of specialist firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “This was meant to be one of the most romantic breaks of Joseph and Cezanne’s lives but unfortunately the illness he suffered left them unable to fully enjoy the facilities at the hotel and they went home with awful memories rather than happy ones.

“Salmonella is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning that can leave some sufferers with permanent symptoms.

“We will now be investigating the cause of Joseph’s illness and how he came to contract salmonella. We hope Thomas Cook the tour operator will co-operate fully with us during our investigations.

“We would ask anyone who has recently stayed at the resort to get in touch with us if they feel they are able to assist with our investigations.”

The Thomas Cook spokeswoman also said: “Thomas Cook would, of course, like to congratulate Mr Kilgannon and Ms Bannon on their engagement.

"Thomas Cook takes health and safety issues extremely seriously. We closely audit all the properties to which we operate to ensure that the very highest hygiene standards are maintained."