´óÏó´«Ã½

A cruise company has gone into administration resulting in the "likely" loss of 130 jobs.

South Quay Travel and Leisure Ltd, which operated under the name Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) has ceased trading with immediate effect.

A spokesman said jobs are "likely to go" from the head office in Purfleet, Essex.

Administrators said the travel industry had been "engulfed with a devastating and unprecedented global pandemic".

No CMV cruises have taken place since 13 March because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Paul Williams from administrators Duff & Phelps said a "once thriving cruise business was compounded by last week's Foreign and Commonwealth Office advisory against cruise travel".

Although the ships affiliated with CMV are held in individual companies which are not part of the administration, the future of 4,000 staff employed by those companies was said to be "uncertain".

"The suspension of CMV's worldwide cruise programme on 13 March through to 25 August 2020 has affected over 50,000 British and international passengers greatly impacting the business," a spokesman said.

Christian Verhounig, chief executive of CMV said directors has "worked tirelessly...to try and secure the funding required...to weather the storm".

A statement on South Quay Travel and Leisure's website said customers with bookings should contact travel trade organisation Abta or Atol if their booking included flights.