Thomas Cook staff set up pop-up shops
Ex-Thomas Cook staff across England are working for free to help holidaymakers to salvage their trips.
Employees who lost their jobs when the travel firm collapsed have set up pop-up shops to help customers fill in claim forms or rebook holidays.
At least 100 people queued in a shopping centre in Longton in Stoke-on-Trent to speak to Thomas Cook staff.
In Telford, Shropshire, staff locked out of their shop set up shop in a nearby cafe to give customers advice.
In Walsall, branch manager Georgia Browning and assistant manager Shannon Faulkner based themselves at a local pub.
"It feels strange sat here in our uniforms for the last time but we wanted to help customers fill in their claims forms and to say goodbye," said Ms Browning.
Cabin manager Martin Browne told the BBC that crew members had bought toilet roll and plastic cups using their own money for the repatriation flights home from resorts because ‘all they’ve been given is an empty aircraft’.
Meanwhile, the union Unite is backing a mass demonstration of Thomas Cook staff at Westminster today, where the firm’s employees will present two petitions to the government demanding an inquiry into the firm’s collapse, a refund of the director’s multi-million pound bonuses and support getting redundancy pay.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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