The manager of the MidCounties Co-op's travel division pledged today to help Oxfordshire customers affected by the collapse of the XL Leisure Group.

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded after the UK’s third largest tour operator went into administration and grounded all flights.

XL Leisure Group declared bankruptcy early today having failed to secure a rescue package amid deep financial difficulties.

Geoff Hurmson, general manager of MidCounties Co-op Travel, said the company, which has high street travel agent's in Botley, Headington, Kidlington and Thame, said: "We have 40 customers on holiday with XL, and 400 booked to go between now and next summer, with 50 to 100 due to fly out over the next week.

"We are prioritising the imminent departures, predominantly to Greece and Spain, and we want to reassure customers that we will do our best to provide them with alternative holidays, or a refund through the Civil Aviation Authority.

"We have been a travel agent since the 1950s and have seen a number of these collapses and there is a tried and tested procedure in place to deal with them."

Mr Hurmson added that some MidCounties customers were due to fly out this evening from Manchester to Majorca.

The XL Leisure group, which had still been taking holiday bookings until recently, said all its flights had been cancelled and its fleet of aircraft grounded.

It said it had been hit by rising fuel costs and the credit crunch.

Scores of disappointed XL customers queued at the firm’s main airport Gatwick this morning, one of the busiest days of the week for holiday flights.

Many had no idea what had happened until they were told by airport officials.

Graham White, 27, an estate agent from London, said: "We didn’t find out about it until we got here. I’m pretty annoyed."

XL customers faced a race to get tickets on alternative flights if they wanted to go ahead with their holidays, although some just turned round and headed home.

Kim Lazarow, 26, who was travelling with Mr White to the Greek island of Skiathos for a week, said: "Everyone’s been going online booking flights as soon as they found out so I’m not sure what we’re going to get."

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said everything possible was being done to get stranded holidaymakers home.

She said: "I have been holding discussions with my officials about this situation and both they, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), have been monitoring developments and putting rescue plans into action.

"The CAA have a wealth of experience in dealing with these sorts of situations and are putting systems in place to get people home, while the Government stands ready to provide the CAA with operational assistance should they need it.

"The industry has reacted well to this collapse of a major tour company and are assisting the CAA with the recovery plans to ensure that affected passengers are repatriated as soon as possible."

Any concerned Co-op customers can telephone: 01922 700001.

If you have been affected by the collapse of XL, call the Oxford Mail Newsdesk on 01865 425500 or email news@oxfordmail.co.uk