'Death trap' Cyprus hotel under fire as Mail reveals toddler who fell to death is among three British tourists to have died at resort in as many years

By EIRIAN JANE PROSSER, SENIOR REPORTER and ANDREW JEHRING, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT Published: 17:35, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 17:44, 30 July 2026 A toddler who fell to his death from a Cyprus hotel window is the third British tourist to die at the resort in four years, the Mail can reveal. Victims have slammed local authorities for not investigating the King Evelthon Hotel over repeated fatalities as the two-year-old's grieving father is due to appear in court tomorrow. The 37-year-old City banker and his family are 'living through an unimaginable nightmare' as he is charged with causing death by a rash, reckless or dangerous act. The five-star beachfront venue near Paphos has been the scene of multiple tragedies in recent years – including the deaths of two other UK holidaymakers. Ben Woods, 21, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, drowned while playing volleyball in the hotel's pool in July 2022 before six-year-old Ruaridh Nairne, from Inverness, drowned the following year. Another woman reportedly died while swimming in 2024. The family caught a late-night flight from London last Saturday evening to arrive at the all-inclusive King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas in the early hours of Sunday Shockingly, when the Daily Mail visited the King Evelthon Hotel this week, the large fourth-floor window through which the toddler fell through on July 12 is still open A British tribunal last year found the resort does not have a licence for its pool, though the hotel says it does and insists no fault has been found after repeated police investigations. Shockingly, when the Daily Mail visited the King Evelthon Hotel this week, the large fourth-floor window through which the toddler fell through on July 12 is still open. The father said he placed his son on the ledge while waiting for the lift as he believed the window was shut as the glass is completely clear. To his horror, the boy fell backwards through the wide-open window and plunged to the ground. But management have not put any signposts warning of the danger nor locked the sliding glass shut. UK health and safety guidelines state hotel windows large enough that children can fall through should be restricted to an opening of 10cm or less. But in Cyprus the window must simply be above a ledge at least 1.1 metres tall - which King Evelthon complies with. Any additional measures are at the discretion of the hotel's own health and safety consultant whose reports are not shared publicly. A British grandmother who checked in hours after the tragedy told the Mail: 'The day after the boy's death the window on the fourth floor was left wide open. The five-star beachfront venue near Paphos has been the scene of multiple tragedies in recent years including the death of six-year-old Ruaridh Nairne (pictured) The child fell from a fourth-floor window, which is protected by a tall, glass, sliding pane – and very difficult to tell at first glance if it is open or not 'The hotel should have put some sort of note on the window to keep it closed, not just for health and safety but out of respect for the family. 'We were horrified that it was still open, it was terrible. Those windows should be closed, especially at night, they are so big.' Families of previous victims have also slammed local authorities claiming they prioritise protecting the island's tourism industry above all else. A relative of a British guest who drowned said: 'We feel for the family of the two-year-old boy involved in the latest tragedy at the hotel. 'We know exactly what they will be going through and our hearts go out to them. We got no empathy from anyone. 'It seems the most important thing at the back of everyone's mind is how is this going to affect the tourist industry?' Witnesses reported lifeguards were 'messing on their phones' when Ben collapsed in the pool in 2022. Holidaymakers were forced to carry out CPR as the area where he collapsed had been 'neglected'. Witness Dawn Wingfield said when a member of staff finally arrived with a defibrillator it was clear he did not 'really know what he was doing' and it appeared they 'had not been properly trained'. The father said he placed his son on the ledge while waiting for the lift as he believed the window was shut as the glass is completely clear Ben's family employed a local lawyer but were told there was 'no criminal process' as a judge had ruled it was a 'straightforward drowning'. Just over a year later, on October 14, 2023, little Ruaridh from Inverness, Scotland, died at the same hotel also while swimming in the pool. The boy had been found floating unconscious in the water by his mother Fiona. He was then rushed to Paphos General Hospital before being taken to Makario Children's Hospital in Nicosia. Despite efforts to save him, he died in hospital. It is unclear if any action has been taken against the hotel over the deaths as investigations are carried out by the Department of Labour Inspection which does not make its findings public. The apparent lack of action stands in stark contrast to the treatment of the grieving British father who was held in a police cell on remand for eight days before being charged. Local press called it Cypriot police's 'cruelest act' as the detention is the longest time available and usually reserved for murderers. The 37-year-old city banker is not allowed to leave the island despite his pleas that he needs to get home in time for the funeral to support his wife and daughter. Speaking to the Daily Mail, a family friend said ahead of the court case: 'The family has been living through an unimaginable nightmare. 'They have barely been able to begin processing the loss of their little boy because, almost immediately, the family was confronted with the further trauma of his father being taken away. 'Seeing him charged was almost impossible for the family to comprehend. 'The family now faces being separated again and facing the emotional and practical consequences of the little boy's death without being together. 'The family believes that separating them at such a vulnerable time is profoundly cruel.' Antonis Stivitanides, general manager of the King Evelthon Hotel, said: 'All our lifeguards are fully qualified. All of those deaths the police fully investigated and found no fault on the hotel's side. 'Allegations made by guests [on health and safety] I will not comment on as everyone has their own opinions. 'Our hotel is fully licenced and complies with all regulations. It is safe for visitors to come and stay. 'We are very sorry for all the families involved and we offer them our sincere condolences and sympathy.' Cyprus Police and the Department of Labour Inspection were contacted for comment.