TRAVEL agents in Middlewich have been overwhelmed with gifts and messages of support from customers following the collapse of Thomas Cook.

The Travel Lounge on Wheelock Street lost their ABTA licence as they were operating under the Freedom Travel Group consortium which was part of the Thomas Cook Group and could no longer trade.

However, following swift intervention, the three partners who own the independent travel agent, Andrea Jones, Lynsey Bills and Joanne Lightfoot, are now back in business.

Andrea said: "We took quick action and thanks to the Midcounties Consortium we were back up and trading within a few days.

"We want to thank all our customers for all their patience in waiting for us to be set up with the Co-op and look forward to working with them in the future."

The trio opened their business six years ago when Co-op Travel closed across the road. They had been working together for 10 years and wanted to continue to offer customers 'a good, friendly and professional service which often gets lost in bigger companies'.

The team has been inundated with gifts from customers.

Andrea said: "We have had so much support over the last few weeks. Customers have been amazing, bringing us cakes, flowers and plants, buying us coffee and even giving us bath bombs to help us to relax.

"Everyone has been so understanding, we just want to say thank you all."

Around 700 repatriation flights were organised by the Civil Aviation Authority to bring holidaymakers stranded abroad home when the oldest travel firm in the world went under.

Around 360,000 bookings for Thomas Cook holidays in the coming months were cancelled.

The Travel Lounge say they have been very busy making alternative arrangements for passengers who will get their money back.

"We have been able to book people with another tour operator," said Andrea. "For some we have been able to get them into the same hotel.

"We have a lot of repeat customers who come back to us. We believe it is the personal touch they like.

"Middlewich is a lovely town to work in. We always try and give something back to the community."

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The Travel Lounge collects Easter eggs for deprived children and donations of dog food for pets.

They will be launching their Christmas Santa Suitcase appeal in November when they will be collecting toys for the NSPCC.