MORE than 400 holidaymakers who were abroad when their tour operator collapsed landed back in the North-East tonight.

Two flights landed at Durham Tees Valley Airport at about 9pm carrying passengers from Turkish resorts Bodrum and Dalaman.

They were among 16,000 Britons who were abroad when Goldtrail tour operator collapsed last week.

An additional 2,000, including several hundred in the North-East, were scheduled to fly out last weekend but had to return home instead.

Marina Tankard, from Newton Aycliffe, who was on the first flight to land, from Bodrum, spent a week in the resort with husband Robert and children Rhiannon and Shannon.

She said: "We thought we were going to get kicked out of the hotel. It wasn't until the Tuesday that we knew we were safe."

Keith Walker, from Langley Park, County Durham, who was holidaying with his wife Jean, said: "It was a big shock when we came in one night and they asked for our passports.

"They threatened to throw us out of the hotel because they had lost all their money and they were going to charge us an extra £70 per person per night."

Mr Walker paid out an extra £980, but has already recouped £560.

June Mann, 71, and Jean Wilkinson, 74, from Hartlepool, had been to Bodrum for two weeks and paid £210 each extra for their hotel.

Ms Mann said: "It has been devastating. I am 71 and my friend is 74, and we can't get hold of that money.

"We had spent a week there and we had to pay it all again.

"It has been horrible. I'll never go again because they just don't care. We have all this to sort out now we are home."

Earlier yesterday, Susan Stocks, 51, of Shildon, told how she was stuck in the Malibu apartments in Hisaronu, Turkey, with two teenage boys, when she was told that she would have to pay for their accommodation or face sleeping on the streets. She arrived back into the UK on Tuesday.

She said: "The holiday rep just came across to us with a letter and told us to read it, it said the company had gone into liquidation and we would have to pay for our room and for the airport transfer if we wanted to stay.

"I didn't really have much choice so just paid the money, however, some other residents were refusing to pay so the hotel manager refused to give them their passports.

"There was no way we were going to let it spoil our holiday but it wasn't handled very well by the hotel or the tour operator."

Goldtrail was a medium-sized independent operator specialising in trips to Turkey and Greece.

Passengers who still have bookings are advised to contact their travel agent. Alternatively they can contact the Civil Aviation Authority on 0844-856-2585.