A BRITISH-BASED travel company has gone bust, with thousands of customers facing cancelled holidays.

Great Little Escapes, based in Berkshire, specialised in the “best cheap breaks in the UK”.

Travel Gossip

Great Little Escapes, based in Berkshire, has gone bust[/caption]

Facebook

It ceased trading on June 13, the CAA said[/caption]

Its website boasts: “Holidays to the most iconic cities in the World.

“Find your next City Break with Great Little Escapes.”

A notice from the Civil Aviation Authority said: “The company based in Sandhurst, Berkshire traded under the names Your Holidays, Great Little Escapes, Tunisia First and websites www.themaldives.co.uk, www.yourholidays.co.uk, www.thecaribbean.com and www.greatlittleescapes.co.uk.

“We are currently collating information from the company and will update this page as soon as possible.”

It told customers: “Whilst waiting for further information, please do not submit a claim as these will be rejected.”

The CAA added: “If you are a travel agent of Great Little Escapes LLP and you are currently holding consumer payments which you have not yet paid to Great Little Escapes LLP, you must not use these funds to refund consumers until you have received instructions from the Air Travel Trust. 

“Travel agents will be individually contacted by the CAA with specific instructions for these bookings.”

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.

A FORMER teammate of Simone Biles has hit out at the gymnastics icon in a stinging statement.

Biles, 28, was caught up in a feud with former college swimmer and activist Riley Gaines, 25.

Getty

Simone Biles was criticized by a former USA gymnastics teammate[/caption]

Getty

MyKayla Skinner was on the USA team with Simone Biles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games[/caption]

Seven-time Olympic champion Biles hit out at Gaines over a tweet she sent about transgenders.

Gaines has been campaigning against trans athletes competing in women’s sports.

Biles called Gaines a “sore loser” and said her campaign was because of the result of one of her races.

Now MyKayla Skinner has stepped in to back Gaines and claims Biles “belittled, dismissed and ostracized” her.

Skinner and Biles were on the same USA gymnastics team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

And Skinner said in a statement, “As an athlete who has dedicated years to a sport, I’ve always believed that true competition should elevate us — not diminish others.

“That’s why it’s deeply troubling to see Simone Biles publicly label a fellow female athlete a ‘sore loser’ simply for expressing valid concerns about fairness in women’s sports

“I commend and appreciate Riley Gaines for having the courage to speak up.

“Throughout my own career, I endured being belittled, dismissed and ostracized behind the scenes by Simone.”

“It’s one thing to disagree. It’s another to use your platform to bully and demean.

“We should be lifting each other up — not tearing one another down for speaking hard truths.”

Skinner criticized the USA gymnastics squad heading into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Biles won three gold medals last summer in France to take her total to seven overall.

She issued a public apology to Gaines for her “personal” remarks last week.

Before that, Gaines made reference to the abuse Biles had suffered at the hands of disgraced former USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Getty

Riley Gaines was in an online feud with Simone Biles over trans athletes[/caption]

Biles said, “I wanted to follow up from my last tweets.

“I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport.

“The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.

“These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect.

“I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports.

“My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful.

“Individual athletes—especially kids—should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over.

“I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition.

“We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.”

In Ratsada, Phuket, a homemade explosive disguised as a large garland detonated in a residential garden last Friday afternoon, June 13, causing minor injuries to two individuals. Police are currently searching for a group of teenagers suspected of planting the device. The incident was reported to the Phuket police at approximately 5.35pm. Officers from the …

The story Phuket garden blast injures two, teens suspected of planting bomb as seen on Thaiger News.

The spotlight’s dimmed on Hugh Jackman's one-man show.

Lani Misalucha's faith has remained firm despite suffering from partial hearing loss due to bacterial meningitis.

Israel has decried the "outrageous and unprecedented decision" to shut down four of its weapons stands at a Paris Airshow for displaying offensive weapons.

In the upcoming episode of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (17 June), you will see an interesting twist when Armaan decides to marry Geetanjali.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON brutally labelled an England cult hero as one of the most “disappointing signings” of his Manchester United career.

The midfielder was marked as the man to replace long-serving skipper Roy Keane after an award-winning performance during the 2006 World Cup.

Sportsfile

During his 27 years at Old Trafford the Scot signed football geniuses like Cristiano Ronaldo and Eric Cantona.

He also picked up Keane, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji-Sung who perhaps fell into the ‘signed for their mindset’ category.

But as well as several superstar signings, Fergie was also responsible for a few spectacular flops.

And the now-83-year-old revealed that two-time Champions League winner Owen Hargreaves fell into the ‘underwhelming’ category.

Hargreaves joined United from Bayern Munich in 2007, having built a reputation as one of nation’s best midfielders, especially after winning England’s Player of the World Cup in 2006.

And his career at Old Trafford started well, winning the Premier League and Champions League double in his first season.

Fans will also remember him scoring a penalty against Chelsea in the European final in Moscow, but Ferguson doesn’t recall his time so fondly.

Despite Hargreaves’ early success in a United shirt, Ferguson looked back on his decision to sign him with regret.

News Group Newspapers Ltd

Times Newspapers Ltd

Fans remember Hargreaves scoring a penalty in the shootout against Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow[/caption]

Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford

In his autobiography ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In’, the Scot claimed he had had doubts over Hargreaves from the start.

Ferguson wrote: “We started to put together a bid for him. But I studied his playing record and felt a tinge of doubt.

“I didn’t feel a strong vibe about him. David Gill worked hard on the deal with Bayern.

“I met Owen’s agent at the World Cup final in Berlin. Nice man, a lawyer. I told him we could develop Hargreaves at United.

“It turned out to be a disaster. Owen had no confidence in himself whatsoever.

“He didn’t show nearly enough determination to overcome his physical difficulties, for my liking.

“I saw him opt for the easy choice too often in terms of training. He was one of the most disappointing signings of my career.”

It turned out to be a disaster.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Things quickly went downhill in 2008, with a recurring patellar tendinitis problem virtually ending Hargreaves’ career.

He would make just five more appearances for United after his debut season, before joining Manchester City for one, injury-ravaged campaign in 2011.

Hargreaves, who won four Bundesliga titles in 218 games for Bayern Munich, scored just two goals in 38 appearances for the Red Devils.

The former midfielder now works as a pundit to TNT Sports.

A POPULAR British retailer which has returned to the high street after collapsing into administration is set to open more shops.

Shirtmaker T.M. Lewin is gearing up to open more stores in London, Manchester and Edinburgh after staging a dramatic comeback.

Alamy

T.M. Lewin is eyeing up further locations after opening a new store in London[/caption]

The retailer recently opened its first new store in the capital since 2020, when it fell into administration and shut all of its 66 branches.

The site in Bow Lane, City of London, stocks a range of formal shirts, office-wear and a new Clerkenwell Jacket.

But it is now eyeing up further locations across the UK in an expansion drive.

Dan Ferris, T.M. Lewin’s managing director, told The Times, which first reported news of the additional openings: “A big part of our three-year plan is to expand the real estate very quickly.

“We’re looking for another couple this year, and thereafter it’ll just be about opening as many additional outlets as we can.”

T.M Lewin was founded by Thomas Mayes Lewin and Geoffrey James Lewin in London in 1898, and supplied the RAF and Army with uniforms during the First World War.

The company made its shirts in Southend, Essex until the late 1980s, when production moved overseas.

However, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic led to the retailer falling into administration in 2020 and going online-only.

The administration process led to the closure of T.M. Lewin’s 66 branches.

In 2022, the business was forced to call in administrators for a second time as shoppers shifted to working from home.

RETAILERS MAKING A COMEBACK

T.M. Lewin is not the first retailer to stage a comeback in recent years despite a challenging economic backdrop.

The Centre for Retail Research said more than 13,000 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut their doors for good in 2024.

This was after more than 10,400 stores closed permanently in 2023, the centre said.

However, some retailers have been bucking the closure trend and opening stores across the UK.

Others have been making major comebacks after going bust too.

Cath Kidston opened up a brand new store last October, after going into administration in June 2023.

Meanwhile, earlier this year ASOS revealed plans to relaunch a Topshop website.

The two names have joined a host of other brands that have announced they will make some form of return.

Toys R Us, Cath Kidston and M&Co all said last year they would be making a comeback after previously falling into administration.

Major brand Wilko is already back on the high street after closing 400 stores in 2023.

Its new owners, CDS Superstores, have opened branches across the UK.

Veteran pilot Steve Schreiber brings 26 years of flying experience to the cockpit.