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Son sues over death of mum who died while trapped in holiday home airing cupboard

<em>Craig Isherwood (l), pictured with father Clive, is suing holiday resort owners for negligence after his mother, Elizabeth (r) died in an airing cupboard (Caters)</em>
Craig Isherwood (l), pictured with father Clive, is suing holiday resort owners for negligence after his mother, Elizabeth (r) died in an airing cupboard (Caters)

A grieving son is suing the holiday resort where his mother died, after she became trapped in an airing cupboard.

Craig Isherwood is seeking compensation from Macdonald Resorts for negligence, following the death of his mother, Elizabeth.

Ex-policewoman Mrs Isherwood, known as Mary, died while staying at Plas Talgarth Country Club near Pennal, Gwynedd, in September 2017.

The 60-year-old was staying alone at the family timeshare for one last time before selling it.

However, she is believed to have become trapped in the airing cupboard on the night she arrived or the morning after, when she was going to the toilet.

<em>Mrs Isherwood is believed to have become trapped in the airing cupboard on the night she arrived or the morning after, when she was going to the toilet (Caters)</em>
Mrs Isherwood is believed to have become trapped in the airing cupboard on the night she arrived or the morning after, when she was going to the toilet (Caters)

An inquest heard how the internal doorknob disintegrated and Mrs Isherwood tried to break out of the cupboard using a piece of water pipe she had snapped off.

However, she was sprayed with water and subsequently died from hypothermia.

The body of the ‘fit and healthy’ mother an grandmother from Wolverhampton was found one week later.

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A coroner recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure.

Mr Isherwood, 33, said: ‘My mother died in the most terrible circumstances you could imagine.

‘Tragically, she had made a hole big enough to climb through, but did not realise her way out was only blocked by a picture screwed to the other side of the wall.

<em>The family say Elizabeth’s death should never have happened (Caters)</em>
The family say Elizabeth’s death should never have happened (Caters)

‘The legal action is not about the compensation, because how can you put a value on a life? It is about the fact that this should never have happened.

‘I just want the company to admit that they made a mistake in not checking the door properly and make sure that this cannot happen to anyone else.’

Associate Adam Wilson, from law firm FBC Manby Bowdier, who is representing Mr Isherwood, said: ‘This was a quite horrific tragedy. There is no amount of money which can compensate Mr Isherwood and his two children for the loss of a much-loved mother and grandmother.

‘But we believe that this was a tragedy which could and should have been avoided.’

Macdonald Resorts said it could not comment at this stage.