British holidaymakers on Sunday faced the prospect of being flown to a mystery destination after others were “held hostage” over unpaid hotel bills as Thomas Cook teetered on the brink of collapse.

Guests due to leave the UK last night for Les Orangers in Hammamet, Tunisia, were at the mercy of the beleaguered tour operator after finding out, via Twitter, that customers would no longer be sent to the hotel following a tense stand-off with staff who had barricaded every exit.

Among them were Basil Hale, 23, from Hampshire and his pregnant partner, who were due to leave from Gatwick last night. They repeatedly asked Thomas Cook what was going on but were met with silence.

Mr Hale said it was a “very uneasy and stressful situation” for his partner who was anxious about getting on a plane with no idea which hotel they would be taken to.

“Flying to a country without any idea of where you’re staying seems a bit crazy to me,” Mr Hale told the Telegraph.

The tour operator pulled the plug on Les Orangers after terrified guests were “held hostage” at the beach resort amid fears of its imminent collapse.