Supporters' tour company stops trading

The official operator that supplied packages to the 2006 Ashes tour in Australia has ceased trading.

Travel and Tours Anywhere Ltd (TTAL) closed last week. It organised packages for cricket supporters, including the Barmy Army and the Bharat Army. The supporters group, Barmy Army Ltd, licenced its name to the tour operator, allowing it to trade as Barmy Army Travel in Hayes, Middlesex.

On April 11, TTAL was the subject of an investigation by the BBC's Watchdog programme after allegations that it overcharged supporters for packages and also left them facing unexpected additional costs.

It emerged that as much as £1.8 million had "mysteriously been sent to a company in Australia set up by a TTAL director and his cousin." An accountant appointed by TTAL to investigate the company's finances told the BBC this money could no longer be properly accounted for, but hadn't been used to pay hotels fully. He said TTAL were no longer able to get in touch with the director responsible.

The programme concluded: "It's a mystery what the travel agency did with all the money, but what's clear is the fans and the Barmy Army have lost a fortune."