Travel firm Thomas Cook’s attempt to gain sympathy is crass and inept

I don’t think it would be possible for travel company Thomas Cook to have handled the tragic deaths of two little kids so appallingly badly and events this week just compounds their ineptitude.

Seven-year-old Christi and six-year-old Bobbi Shepherd died when on holiday in a villa in Corfu in 2006 due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Their father Neil Shepherd and his partner Ruth were discovered in a coma but somehow survived.

Neil, and his ex-wife and the children’s mum Sharon Wood, have battled for justice ever since and their fight was made all the more difficult because Thomas Cook tried to block an inquest into the deaths.

What we found difficult to swallow was that the travel company received £3.5 million in compensation, TEN times more than the bereaved parents.

Of course no amount of money will bring back their children but what an insult that was to them and would have obviously made their suffering even worse. I don’t understand why Thomas Cook bosses didn’t immediately apologise and sympathise.

Neil and mum Sharon have gone through an absolute nightmare and been badly let down time and time again.

They were assured that the holiday villa would not be let out to any other family, yet the number on the door of the villa was simply changed and other families have stayed there since.

It will now be demolished but only because all concerned have been shamed into taking action.

An inquest last month found that the children were unlawfully killed and that Thomas Cook had breached its duty of care.

There was no immediate apology forthcoming from Thomas Cook bosses and they have severely underestimated public disgust at their conduct.

With appalling timing, it was then announced that the former chief executive of Thomas Cook, Harriet Green, has been awarded a jaw-dropping £10.5m bonus.

Green has said she will donate some of her bonus to charity in the name of Christi and Bobbi, which is to be welcomed, but you can’t help feeling that she has made this public gesture because of adverse publicity. She has also declared that she “holds her head incredibly high”.

What a crass remark to make.

Sharon said on Friday that the donation was merely to salve Green’s conscience and “gain public empathy” and they had not been consulted in the proposed donation.

I know Thomas Cook are a giant corporate organisation, but two little children lost their lives and bosses should have shown some basic humanity.