Thomas Cook paid out on Hurghada hotel sickness claim weeks before couple's death

However, JMW Solicitors have said they believe at least 40 people have been struck down over the past week at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic resort.

Speaking to BBC Wales, partner Joanne Brine said the family accused Cook of failing to ensure food was “safe for human consumption” and permitting food to be “re-served or re-used on more than one occasion”.

She added that as the family had been on an all-inclusive Cook holiday, they had only eaten and drunk at the hotel restaurant.

Cook has said the hotel was last audited in July 2018, scoring 96%.

In a statement issued by JMW, Brine added the deaths were “incredibly concerning” in light of her clients experience more than two years earlier.

“The fact we have brought concerns to Thomas Cook’s attention about the accuracy and reliability of the hotel’s record keeping should set off alarm bells for those investigating.

“I sincerely hope a thorough investigation will make sure the [Cooper] family get the answers they need to understand exactly what happened inside that hotel room and ensure the safety of future holiday makers is prioritised.”

A Thomas Cook spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our first priority and we would never send customers to a hotel which we do not believe to be safe.

"We audit all 3,000 of our core hotels every year and so far this calendar year we have removed 47 hotels for health and safety reasons and a further 150 which did not meet our strict quality criteria.

"As well as the audits, our quality teams regularly inspect our properties and provide support, guidance and training to help hotels improve.

"We last audited Steigenberger Aqua Magic in July 2018.”