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Specialist Leisure Group - which owns coach companies Shearings and Wallace Arnold - has collapsed into administration.

Travel trade organisation Abta said more than 64,000 bookings have been cancelled and more than 2,500 jobs lost.

It added that the vast majority were coach package holidays which are financially protected, so customers with these bookings will receive a full refund.

The company also owns a number of hotel chains, including Bay Hotels, Coast & Country Hotels and Country Living Hotels.

Administrators EY said they would be trying to write to all affected customers, with information on the company’s website - www.specialistleisuregroup.com - giving information on how to claim refunds.

Joint administrator Sam Woodward said: “The group has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as all tours, trips and events have been cancelled and the hotels closed to the public, leading to a significant cash shortfall.

“The directors of the group have been in discussions with a number of parties, seeking a going concern buyer for the business. Unfortunately, despite interest in the group as a whole and in parts, no viable transaction structure was able to be agreed and, as a result, the group was placed into administration.”

More than 2,200 staff had been furloughed at the company, but 2,460 redundancies have now been announced. Around 70 employees will initially be retained to assist the Administrators in disposing of the assets and winding down the business.