A controversial travel agency that attracted a string of complaints has been wound up owing £415,000, TTG has learned.
Blue Skies Travel (UK) Ltd, which was run by Clive Allard, entered voluntary creditors liquidation last month. The firm also traded under the names Bright Skies Travel and Flyvacations.co.uk.
It was heavily criticised on online forum TripAdvisor, with consumers insisting that they had never received the tickets they had paid for. According to the firm’s statement of affairs compiled by liquidator William Antony Batty, most of the claims appear to be from consumers left out of pocket.
The company’s failure follows a similar incident in 2012, when another company run by Allard, the brother of All Leisure Group chief executive Roger Allard, Travellers Cities, also collapsed. The two have no professional connection.
The Insolvency Service said it could not comment on a specific case but a spokesperson said it relied on the reports of administrators when looking into the conduct of directors.
“Unless somebody takes action there is nothing preventing him from setting up another company, running it from the same address, using the same website, changing the name,” said Alan Bowen, legal adviser to the Association of Atol Companies.
“The travel industry has a history of people who [stay] involved in businesses that fail.”
TTG was unable to contact Clive Allard for comment.
Blue Skies Travel (UK) Ltd is not related to Blue Skies Travel, a separate company, based in Cardiff.
Alan Bevan, who runs Blue Skies Travel, spoke to TTG in October about his frustration at being confused with Allard’s firm.
