Peterborough's Thomas Cook axes summer holiday programme to Tunisia

The tour operator, of Coningsby Road, Bretton, has cancelled all bookings to Tunisia up to and including October 31 this year.

It is an extension of an earlier cancellation by the company of holidays to Tunisia to the end of April this year.

The action has been prompted by the absence of any change in Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice about travel to Tunisia and the likelihood that the advice will not alter.

A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook said: “There has been no change to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice with regards to travel to Tunisia, which remains against all but essential travel to the country.

“In light of this, and given that we have no clear indication as to when the FCO travel advice may change, Thomas Cook can confirm that it has taken the decision to cancel all bookings to Tunisia up to and including 31 October 2016.

She added: “We appreciate that this may be frustrating for our customers who have been looking forward to their holiday and we would like to assure them that we are doing our upmost to ensure they are still able to enjoy a Thomas Cook holiday by offering a number of options.”

Thomas Cook is individually contacting customers whose bookings are affected, prioritising those due to travel soonest.

Any customers with immediate concerns should call the dedicated customer phone line, open from 8am until 10pm, on 01733 224 536.

The spokeswoman added: “At Thomas Cook, the safety and well-being of all those who travel with us is our absolute priority, and we would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”

Last week Thomson Airways said it was cancelling flights from the UK to Tunisia up to and including October 31.

Last June, 38 people were killed, including 30 Brits by a gunman on a beach near Sousse. It followed a similar attack on tourists earlier in the year at the Bardo Museum in the capital Tunis.