Premier Travel in Ely and Holiday With Us, which has branches in March and Wisbech, have set up emergency helplines to support customers who have booked holidays with Thomas Cook - which ceased trading this morning (Monday).

Ely Standard: Premier Travel in Ely has set up an emergency helpline to support customers who have booked holidays with Thomas Cook - which ceased trading this morning (Monday).Premier Travel in Ely has set up an emergency helpline to support customers who have booked holidays with Thomas Cook - which ceased trading this morning (Monday). (Image: Archant)

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the tour operator has "ceased trading with immediate effect", putting more than 20,000 jobs at risk worldwide and triggering the biggest ever peacetime repatriation.

The company was unable to secure the extra £200m needed to keep it afloat following a full day of tals with the major shareholder and creditors on Sunday.

More than 150,000 British holidaymakers therefore need to be brought home, with the government and CAA hiring dozens of charter planes to fly customers home free of charge.

Following the CAA statement, Premier Travel has said it will ensure any of its customers who have a booking through Thomas Cook, both in resort and due to travel, are "looked after".

It has also confirmed that "all customers that have Thomas Cook bookings through Premier Travel are 100 per cent financially protected".

Premier Travel has set up an emergency team at its head office in Cambourne to co-ordinate the efforts to contact all affected customers, both in resort and due to travel with Thomas Cook, to advise them of alternative arrangements.

In a statement the company said: "Premier Travel have been monitoring the situation closely over the last few days and as such are fully prepared with details of customers currently overseas and those who are due to depart."

Paul Waters, director at Premier Travel, said: "Our customers and their travel plans are of the utmost importance to us at this time and our priority is communicating with them to reduce the impact of this failure.

"Our thoughts and best wishes go out to all of our colleagues and friends within the Thomas Cook Group at this time and all customers whose holidays are affected. Thomas Cook have been operating since 1841 and have been a huge supporter of independent travel agents since their inception and will be greatly missed."

Customers with any concerns are asked to contact their local branch or telephone 0800 3164 379.

Meanwhile, Holiday With Us, which is based in March, have said they will remain closed until Wednesday (September 25) as they work to bring customers back to the UK safely.

A spokesman said: "In light of today's sad news regarding Thomas Cook. This is a devastating blow to the travel industry and all the customers due to travel with them.

"Our priority is to ensure all our customers currently out in resort are repatriated back to the uk safely. Our team will be contacting in date order of departure all of our customers due to travel with Thomas Cook to ensure you have the correct information.

"Please be patient with us at this difficult time we are doing our absolute best and will aim to deal with everyone as quickly as possible. We will reopen on Wednesday September 25 via an emergency phone line only on 08001 670 232.

"If you are travelling in the next seven days on a non Thomas Cook Package and need urgent help please email customerrelations@holidaywithus.co.uk

"Once again thank you for your patience and understanding."