CHESTER’S holidaymakers can be reassured that the city’s Thomas Cook travel agents will not be affected by the company’s closure of 200 UK stores.

The tour operator announced this week it is to close under-performing branches over the next two years in a bid to turn around the struggling business, after making a loss of almost £400m last year.

The news will have a significant impact across the UK holiday industry, with up to 1,000 jobs being slashed.

But workers at Chester’s Bridge Street and Northgate Street branches can breathe a sigh of relief after a spokesperson for Thomas Cook’s press office confirmed to The Chronicle that neither of the city-centre stores are at risk of closure, and will not be affected by the shake-up.

It has been a challenging time for UK travel agencies in light of the recent troubles in North Africa, which appears to have put tourists off travelling to popular destinations such as Tunisa and Egypt.

And the traditional customer base of families with young children visiting beach resorts appears to have fallen by the wayside as more and more decide to stay at home instead.

Yesterday it was revealed that shares in Thomas Cook have fallen by more than 3%, with a 90% decline in market value since March.