CUMBRIA Trading Standards have shared an open letter from the Competition and Markets Authority concerning package holidays.

The council's department has joined calls for firms to respect the refund rights of holidaymakers this summer.

A spokesman for trading standards said: "Their open letter to the sector sets out their legal obligations and the need to ensure refund options are clear and accessible."

The letter has also been sent directly to 100 package travel firms with the most complaints made about them.

Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: "International travel is set to resume soon and lots of people will be considering a long-awaited trip abroad. With that in mind, we want to make sure people are fully aware of their refund rights, so they can make informed choices about booking a holiday.

"We’re calling on package holiday companies to make the refund process less hassle in the future. We expect all firms to give cancellation options and will consider appropriate steps if we see companies breaking the law by refusing or delaying refunds."