AN ISLE of Wight tourist attraction has slammed 'inaccurate and damaging' reporting in the media that linked their business to a child who was taken seriously ill with E.coli.

Tapnell Farm Park welcomed a further statement from Public Health England (PHE), which today confirms all evidence currently points to the source being food borne and not from a farm setting.

PHE stated last Friday it was investigating an E.coli O157 infection in a young child in Hampshire, who had recently taken a holiday on the Island.

At the time, it stated: “The investigation into the source of the infection is ongoing with no evidence to link the infection to a source on the Isle of Wight at the current time.”

Despite this, Tapnell Farm was named in the media — but not by the County Press.

In a joint statement, Tom Turney and Tom Honeyman Brown, owners of Tapnell Farm, said, “We would like to thank everyone who supported us this week while we have been the focus of inaccurate reporting in the media.

"We are very sorry to hear that the young girl, Isla, contracted the infection and hope the source can be identified quickly. We wish her a speedy recovery.

"We would also like to re-assure our customers that Tapnell Farm remains a safe place to bring the family and that our visitors’ health, wellbeing and happiness will always be at the heart of what we do.

“We have an amazing team who have worked very hard over the last seven years to build a quality tourism destination on the Island.

"It is therefore most distressing that in just a matter of days, through no fault of our own, so much of this hard work and reputation has been damaged by the media.

“We’re looking forward to getting back to business as usual now, with lots of exciting plans for the winter and beyond.

"Work on our new aquapark is underway, we have a packed schedule of events for Halloween half term and our preparations for our magical Christmas at Tapland are in full flow.”

E.coli is a relatively common bug which can be easily picked up from touching or eating contaminated food or animals. In rare circumstances, complications can leave people hospitalised.

PHE South East continues to work closely with the Isle of Wight Council’s environmental health team to investigate the source of Isla's infection.

The best way to protect against the bug is through good hygiene and thorough hand washing.

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.