Thomas Cook boss 'felt sick' after ITV News investigation

A week ago an inquest in Wakefield ruled that Thomas Cook "breached its duty of care" to the Shepherd family.

Since then it's been day after day of terrible headlines for Thomas Cook.

Now an investigation by ITV News has lead to the company admitting that two of the three men found guilty of the manslaughter of Christi and Bobby Sheperd are still working for hotels in the Thomas Cook network.

Earlier I showed the company's chief executive our report from Crete and afterwards asked him for his response.

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Peter Fankhauser told me he was "almost sick" when he heard a hotel manager responsible for the deaths of two British children was still working at a premises used by the firm.

Asked how he felt about it, Fankhauser said: "I am shocked at this bad behaviour.

"When I got the news from ITV yesterday I was almost sick because it is really something that is unacceptable."

The chief executive said he immediately contacted the hotel group and insisted they fire hotel manager George Chrysikopoulos.

Chrysikopoulos was convicted of the negligent manslaughter of Bobby and Christi Shepherd by a Greek court in 2006.

The six and seven-year-olds died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty boiler.

Fankhauser said Thomas Cook's head of health and safety had boarded a plane to Greece to carry out an audit and also made investigations as to where another two convicted over the deaths were now.

They found an electrician working at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel, where the Shepherd children died, was still employed there.

"This electrician is going to be fired because we are not willing as a hotelier to accept that they have hotel staff who are convicted who are still in proximity of our clients," he said.

He added they are also engaging a well-reputed health and safety expert to make a thorough investigation of the tour operator's processes who will report directly to him.

The chief executive had a private meeting with the children's family today nine years after their deaths.

But he said the biggest mistake he made was not doing it sooner. "It was heartbreaking for me," he said.

Fankhauser then got choked up when asked if he thought the family now forgave him.

"That is a big ask. I left the door open and I want to keep communication with the family.

"It was time to take the decision to talk with them. It was very intense."

Asked why anyone would still want to book a Thomas Cook holiday now, Fankhauser said: "Because Thomas Cook is a fantastic holiday operator with an absolute focus on health and safety."

Here is the full transcript of the interview:

Hills: "What action have you taken?"

Fankhauser: "We immediately contacted, in the evening, the management of the hotel group, and we asked that they fired the hotel manager, which they did the same evening. We asked our head of audit and safety to board a plane. He started the health and safety audit this morning."

Hills: "Because people will find it remarkable that two men whose negligence led to the deaths of two children are still working in hotels that you send guests to."

Fankhauser: "We find that absolutely inappropriate as well. Not acceptable."

Hills: "You say on your website that all hotels are carefully selected. That’s not true now, is it?"

Fankhauser: "That hotel was carefully selected, that hotel manager was not in the hotel when we were making the contract.

Hills: "We found this man by typing his name into an internet search engine. What does that tell us about the vetting process Thomas Cook uses for its hotels?"

Fankhauser: "That is exactly the question I want to have answered, to have investigated by this internal expert."

Hills: "Because this is massive failure, isn’t it? Let’s be clear about this."

Fankhauser: "This is in this case is something we have not been able to spot."

Hills: "You met with the family earlier today. Did you sense that as a result of the apology the family now forgive you and Thomas Cook?"

Fankhauser: "That is a big ask. I let the door open and I want to keep the communication. And I had the feeling I could have a chance to keep this communicating with this family going."

Hills: "You seem quite choked up about it?"

Fankhauser: "Yes, yes I am. But it was time. It was time that we took that decision to not talk about the family, to talk with the family. As I said it was a very intense meeting."

Hills: "At the meeting did you offer to resign?"

Fankhauser: "No."

Hills: "Did the family ask you to?"

Fankhauser: "No. What I said to the family is that I’m committed to getting it right. And they’ve accepted that."

Hills: "The headlines have been terrible. Has it damaged bookings in the last week?"

Fankhauser: "That is early stages but we didn’t see that there are less bookings in the UK."

Hills: "Have there been cancellations? Are people asking for their money back?"

Fankhauser: "Very, very few cancellations. Really very few."

"Has there been a rise in cancellations in the last week?"

Fankhauser: "No. We didn’t see any pattern which was somehow in relation to this."

Hills: "You’ve sold two thirds of the holidays for this summer, do you honestly think you’ll sell the other third?"

Fankhauser: "Yes, I’m honestly convinced."

Hills: "Do you think customers still trust Thomas Cook?"

Fankhauser: "We do now the right things and I promise to do the right things and yes I firmly believe the customers still trust us. We have so many customers in the destination who are happy."

Hills: "But Thomas Cook failed in its duty of care, it failed, as you admit, to show compassion. You clearly aren’t really sure who’s working in hotels that you are sending guests to, why would anyone book a Thomas Cook holiday?"

Fankhauser: "Because Thomas cook is a fantastic holiday operator. Thomas Cook has an absolute focus on health and safety."