A travel firm has ceased trading leaving hundreds owed money they have paid for holidays.

King's Lynn-based East Anglian Holidays Ltd, which specialised in coach trips to destinations across the UK and Europe, closed down yesterday.

Norwich-based insolvency practitioners McTear, Williams and Wood today said it had been unable to renew its financial failure insurance policy designed to reimburse customers for the money that they prepay for their holidays.

Tony Harrison, associate at the firm, said: "The director explored every avenue to keep the business afloat but without the insurance in place this did not prove possible."

UPDATE - Insurers pledge customers will be refunded

East Anglian Holidays, which had offices off King Street, had organised three trips to take place over Christmas and one over New Year, none of which will go ahead.

The EDP understands one trip was described as a four-day mystery tour, while another was a short break in Luxembourg.

McTear Williams and Wood said customers have given instructions as to how to recover the money they have paid for the holidays.

Around 200 people are believed to have paid in full or in part for their holidays. Those who used credit or debit cards to pay may be able to reclaim the cost via their card provider.

East Anglian Holidays Limited will enter creditors' voluntary liquidation in the New Year.

Its director and two members of staff have been made redundant. There was no answer at its offices.

Its closure came as it emerged thousands of holidaymakers are still owed tens of millions of pounds through outstanding claims following the collapse of Thomas Cook.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said more than 250,000 claims - about 75pc of the total received - have been settled through the Atol financial protection scheme it manages.

It has resulted in payments of more than £200m since Thomas Cook went bust in September.

CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty said the regulator was in the process of undertaking the UK's "largest and most complex" travel claims operation.

He said delays with processing the remaining claims were due to the "quality of information" received from Thomas Cook's systems and the risk of scams.

Are you owed money by the collapse of East Anglian Holidays..? E-mail chris.bishop@archant.co.uk