HOLIDAY HORROR

Lucy-Lou Merner, 40, from Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, got a lifechanging injury on her birthday break...

- ELLIE FAWCETT AND HANNAH CROCKER

Stepping off of the plane in Marrakesh, I was suddenly enveloped by a wave of heat.

As I made my way down the steps back in April this year, I smiled at the thought of five fun-filled days ahead of us.

I'd only found out about the trip three weeks earlier - my husband Dan, 41, had booked it as a surprise for my 40th birthday, and I was so excited.

I'd been to Marrakesh a few times, and it was one of my favourite places.

We'd come with four of our kids-Brooke, 15, Ava-Blou, 14, Sonny, nine, and eight-year-old Meadow.

They'd never been before, and they were buzzing.

Our younger three had stayed at home with my sister and brother-in-law as they were still a bit too young to come.

I missed them, but I was more than ready to relax by the pool in our five-star hotel, with a cocktail in hand!

We hadn't made any plans-I just wanted to go with the flow.

As soon as we arrived at the hotel though, Sonny saw a poster for quad biking.

'Please can we go, Mum, please?' he begged.

'No, sorry Sonny, I said.

'Please!' he cried. 'I've never been, it'll be really fun!'

I paused to consider. It wasn't my cup of tea-thrillseeking wasn't my thing.

But Sonny was so keen.

'What do you think?" I asked Dan and the girls.

'It does sound like fun, Brooke said.

'OK then, I said apprehensively, caving in. 'We'll go tomorrow.

I hated the idea, but I wanted it to be a holiday to remember for the kids.

The next morning, we relaxed by the pool and I was so chilled out that I almost forgot we had booked quad biking for 3 pm that afternoon.

As we got ourselves ready and headed out of the city, to an activity centre in the desert, I started to feel nervous.

'Right guys, we'll start off with a test run, and then we'll head out on an adventure, our guide said.