A travel company has completed a £1 million pound plus move into Peterborough and recruited former Thomas Cook staff.

Major Travel has just opened a new office at Tesla Court, in Innovation Way, Lynch Wood, employing 21 staff.

Mayor of Peterborough Gul Nawaz prepares to cut the ribbon to open the new Major Travel office.

Many of the staff are former employees of the now collapsed holiday giant Thomas Cook, which used to be based just a short distance from the new office.

The Mayor of Peterborough Councillor Gul Nawaz was invited to cut the ribbon to officially open the new offices, cheered on by staff.

Former Thomas Cook staff trainer Candy Homes (50) of Ramsey, who has joined Major Travel, said: "I had worked for Thomas Cook for 34 years and I was absolutely broken-hearted when it collapsed.

"But I am thrilled to now be working for Major Travel and to go on helping to make customers' holiday dreams come true."

Qasim Gulamhusein (MD) and partner Mohammed Rashid at the launch of Major Travel at Lynch Wood, Peterborough.

Mohammed Rashid, sales and marketing director of trade-only operator and consolidator Major Travel, said: "We have a growing travel company in London and when we heard about the Thomas Cook demise we saw an opportunity to interview a talented group of staff.

"We met these fantastically talented people and we saw the opportunity to grow our company with people who had been in the industry for 20 or 30 years.

"For us it was a no-brainer to look at opening a satellite office in Peterborough.

"We have taken on 20 staff from the Thomas Cook team with a combined travel experience of 300 years, which for us is a fantastic victory.

He added: "We have opened up a new brand called Signature Long Haul - selling long haul luxury travel exclusively from our Peterborough office."