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Travel firm Thomas Cook collapses leaving thousands stranded

Thomas Cook, the world's oldest travel firm, has collapsed, leaving hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers stranded around the world.

The company had been in financial trouble for some time and failed to secure the money it needed to stay in business.

The British company has 600,000 customers abroad. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority is to bring home 150,000 British holiday makers - thought to be the biggest peacetime repatriation effort in the country's history.

Travel writer Simon Calder was at Manchester airport as the last ever Thomas Cook flights landed and the planes were impounded.

(Photo: Thomas Cook airplane prepares to take off. Credit: Getty Images)

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