Staff at a Jamaican hotel created a “horrifying” effigy of a couple’s dead son in an attempt at a tribute.

TUI has refunded a British couple of their five-star holiday in Jamaica after an effigy of their dead son was created in their hotel room.

Faye and Andrew Stephens made the trip to Jamaica to honour their late son Alex’s birthday, something they made a tradition of after he died in 2014.

A family member requested that staff at the five-star Royalton Resort put balloons and a cake in the couple’s bedroom as a special welcome for the parents.

However, the hotel staff went a step further.

They created an effigy, with tears on its face and a can of lager clutched in its hand.

Mrs Baker, the family member who arranged for the special welcome, saw the misguided tribute first.

She said she was “utterly horrified” and removed the dummy before her friends saw it.

“Staff had gone through my friend’s wardrobe and stuffed the clothes with towels to make it look like a body on the bed. They even put tears down the face and a can of lager in his hand.

“I was absolutely horrified – as you can imagine I was sweating and shaking. We just didn’t want our friends to see it”, Mrs Baker said.

A TUI spokesperson said: “We offer our sincere apologies to the Baker party for their holiday experience in Jamaica.

“We’re following up with the hotel and believe it was a misunderstanding with no intention to cause upset.”