Thomas Cook reaction: Football club offers staff free tickets, cabin crew in tears and calls for bonuses to be repaid

Staff entering Thomas Cook's head office in Lynch Wood this morning

Lincoln City tweeted: The Imps are offering local @ThomasCookUK employees free coach travel and free tickets to our trip to Blackpool this Friday as a small gesture to show our support following this morning’s sad news. #ImpsAsOne.”

Liverpool FC have also released a statement: “We are aware Thomas Cook has ceased trading this morning. Thomas Cook sells 360 hospitality packages for each of our home games at Anfield.

“We are currently assessing the impact of Thomas Cook ceasing trading and the impact for those supporters who have purchased packages from Thomas Cook. Once we have those details from Thomas Cook we will update supporters.”

Metro deputy news editor Joel Taylor tweeted: “Passenger on final Thomas Cook flight from Orlando to Manchester tells #t5live cabin crew were ‘very professional’ but in tears on landing. In the airport other Thomas Cook staff, holding hands, also in tears, lined up - sounds like a guard of honour - to greet their colleagues.”

Great Northern tweeted: “Following the collapse of #ThomasCook we want to support those impacted who may already have plans to travel to or from @LDNLutonAirport or @Gatwick_Airport. If you have bought rail tickets from us & no longer travelling, you’ll be able to get a full refund (with no admin fee).”

Political reaction

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, when asked on BBC’s Today programme is top executives at Thomas Cook should pay back bonuses they received, replied: “Too right, too right, yes.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy, Rebecca Long-Bailey, tweeted: “Staff employed by Thomas Cook are threatened with redundancy while British holiday makers risk left being stranded overseas. The government failed to inject the £200m needed to save the company, and now it faces a £600m bill to repatriate holiday makers. Disgraceful!”

North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara, whose constituency includes Thomas Cook’s head office at Lynch Wood, said: “Today is a very sad day with the collapse of an iconic UK company that has been trading for 178 years as well as the threat to 9,000 UK jobs of which 1,200 are in my constituency where the company’s headquarters are based. I will be doing all that I can to assist those affected.

“In the meantime, having spoken with Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, and Andrea Leadsom, the Business Secretary, I am assured that detailed preparations are in place to ensure the safe return of the 160,000 holidaymakers which are currently abroad.”

MP for Peterborough Lisa Forbes tweeted: “My immediate thoughts are with the Thomas Cook employees at their HQ in Peterborough and across the country, who have woken up to the news that they are facing redundancy. All they want is to be able to do their jobs. I will be releasing a full statement shortly.”

Grantham and Stamford MP Nick Boles tweeted: “Huge sympathy for employees and customers of Thomas Cook. Any constituents affected by its bankruptcy can check what support is being offered here. Please contact my Parliamentary office if you need further assistance.”

Thomas Cook updates: Latest news and reaction as Peterborough-based travel firm collapses