The end of the tanning bed wars? Judge awards German family who couldn't get a lounger a £280 payout in ruling that could pave the way for compensation claims for Britons

Britons could be entitled to hundreds of pounds in damages after a judge awarded a £280 payout to a German family who were unable to get a sun lounger.

The family, who spent £4,532 on holidays last summer, received the payout after they were unable to get sun loungers at a hotel in Rhodes one morning.

Managers at the TUI Kids Club Atlantica Mikri Poli hotel introduced a policy that meant guests who put towels in their 500 beds had to use them within 30 minutes. However, the court ruled that this was not implemented in this case.

The ruling has now given new hope to several British holidaymakers who missed out on sunbeds last year, with the possibility that the landmark ruling could pave the way for more compensation claims.

Sunbed wars are all too common in the Mediterranean in summer, especially on the Costa del Sol and in Benidorm, where a mother was left almost in tears after her family was forced to sit under a water slide after missing the mad dash .

Do you plan to demand compensation for last summer's 'tanning bed wars'? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk

Cayleigh Tuffs, who was on holiday with her husband Andrew and their eight-year-old daughter Charley, described the rush to find beds as 'horrendous' and vowed never to return to the Spanish tourist destination.

Ms Tuffs, who paid £2,000 for a Jet2 package holiday to Magic Aqua Rock Gardens, said she saw holidaymakers sprinting to sunbeds first thing in the morning to make sure they had the best spot.

The 34-year-old, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, said: 'They look like ants rushing for food. It's terrible. We have seen people throwing towels over the pool to get beds and people running even though it is extremely slippery.

'We go on holiday five times a year and this is the first time we have experienced something like this. On the first day we arrived here in the afternoon so there was no chance of getting a bed so we sat under a slide to get some shade.

'I was almost in tears, it was terrible. I've never wanted to cry on holiday before, but I did on that first day.'

Ms Tuffs said the pool was packed with waiting Brits an hour before it opened at 10am, before 'chaos' ensued when the gates were opened by staff.

Footage from the IT manager showed holidaymakers huddled near multiple entrances before running across the slippery floor to throw their towels onto shaded sunbeds.

Mrs Tuffs is heard saying “Jesus Christ” as she waits to see if her husband, who started queuing at 9am, could get a spot ahead of them.

Ms Tuffs said there are at least three different entrances to the pool and some people have even resorted to using a 'sneaky' entrance near the toilet blocks.

The mother-of-one claimed that despite staff removing towels left on beds for more than 20 minutes, some were left unattended for up to six hours.

Meanwhile, exclusive photos from July last year showed some holidaymakers waiting up to two hours for prime spots at the four-star Estival Torrequebrada hotel, near Málaga.

Men and women were pictured long before the beach and pools opened to ensure they got the best spot – and most had brought a chair and a good book to pass the time.

One witness said that as soon as the gates opened each morning, “madness” ensued, with “people literally running in.” Some parents pushed their children to sprint in and grab a sunbed because they are fitter and faster.

Charlotte Chartell told MailOnline that people were queuing in chairs as they read 'because they've been sitting there for so long'.

But she also concluded 'if you can't beat them, join them', after her initial shock that there were people queuing every day to get a lounge chair.

Mrs Chartell said: 'There are two pools but only one for children, so everyone also wants to get as close to the slides as possible. There are definitely not enough sun loungers for the number of guests in the hotel.

'But as soon as the lifeguard opens the gate, people literally rush in, someone sends their kids ahead of the adults. It's madness. I was there the week before the holidays started, so God knows what it's like now.'

Holidaymakers on the Costa del Sol were spotted racing each other to get pool loungers as soon as campsites open.

Footage showed a huge queue of people in holiday clothes lining up in the hope of getting the best beds.

Meanwhile, locals in Benidorm were caught setting up their sun loungers in the middle of the night to take on British tourists.

Photos showed residents on the beach setting up umbrellas in front of the ocean in the dark.

As the waves crashed against the sand in the dead of night, one video showed a desperate man unraveling a beach mat with a deadly serious look on his face.

After successfully landing the first, he appears to check that the coast is clear before brushing the sand from his hands and beginning to lay down a second at a right angle, perhaps to confuse his opponents.

As the camera pans around, it can be seen adding to a row of colorful umbrellas and lounge chairs already in place, while a woman looks out over the empty beach.

Elsewhere, a hotel even had a referee blow the whistle to let guests know when it was time for the race.

Hilarious footage showed the moment holidaymakers were blown the whistle as they rushed to collect their sunbeds for the day.

The holidaymaker took the images in the Parasol Garden in Malaga, near Hotel Estival Torrequebrada.

Craig Trapps, who stayed at Hotel Estival Torrequebrada in Malaga, filmed a video of the hilarious moment.

Mr Trapps said: 'I managed to get into the pool before it opened! As you can see, the guy brings about eight sunbeds.

'I had my towels removed by the Spanish and it got nasty and almost ended in a fight.

'I almost got into a fight with a Spaniard who literally threw my towels off my bed!'