OLDHAM West and Royton MP Jim McMahon has expressed his dismay and regret at the collapse of travel firm Thomas Cook.

He said: “I have been in contact with a number of employees over the weekend and they are all in my thoughts today, as are the estimated 150,000 British holidaymakers abroad and the nearly 1million whose holidays will be cancelled.

“Both the board and management of Thomas Cook and the government have a lot of questions to answer. I have written to the Business Secretary this morning expressing my concerns and asking why the Department for Business did not do more to assist.

"The cost of the now necessary repatriation and the nearly 9,000 jobs at stake should have been reason enough to provoke the government into some action.

“I shall by speaking to the mayor Of Greater Manchester today to request a special Greater Manchester Task Force is brought together to support the almost 3,000 employees in Greater Manchester that will be affected by this collapse.

“The Departments for Business and for Transport must now urgently work together with the management at Thomas Cook to ensure those British holiday makers trapped abroad can be returned home with as little further disruption as possible.

"I have written to the Secretary of State for Business this morning urging her to support calls for the Insolvency Service to fast-track an investigation into the collapse and for the Department of BEIS, to support the staff affected and assist them in securing new jobs.”