THE Kidderminster branch of Thomas Cook looks set to close permanently after the travel company collapsed.

The long-running travel group ceased trading with immediate effect after failing in a late-night final bid to secure a rescue package from creditors.

The Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement: "All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled. There are currently more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad, almost twice the number that were repatriated following the failure of Monarch.

"We know that a company with such long-standing history ceasing trading will be very distressing for its customers and employees and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this news."

The Thomas Cook Travel Shop on Vicar Street, Kidderminster is on the list of branches to be closed.

The group's four airlines will be grounded and its 21,000 employees in 16 countries, including 9,000 in the UK, will be left unemployed.

More than 150,000 British holidaymakers are currently abroad and will need to be repatriated as a result of the 178-year-old firm's collapse, triggering one of the largest repatriations in history.

The CAA was asked by the Government to launch the repatriation programme over the next two weeks, starting on Monday, September 23 and running to Sunday, October 6 to bring Thomas Cook customers back to the UK.

Thomas Cook operated around 600 UK high street stores.