The leader of Bradford Council has criticised bosses at the beleaguered travel firm for failing to approach the authority to discuss terms on the lease of its city centre office.

Bradford Council leader Councillor David Green (right) yesterday told the Telegraph & Argus he had been led to believe the cost of the lease had been a “major factor” in Thomas Cook’s decision to shut its Bradford site.

Councillor Green revealed discussions with the firm had suggested the move, part of a national restructure of the company, could be put down to two reasons – the running costs of the office, in respect of the lease, and the “break-clause” within the lease for the time the closure is expected to take place in March.

He said: “I’m extremely disappointed that the company didn’t come and speak to the Council when the matter was still under consideration to see if we could have assisted them in any way to keep all or part of the Bradford operation open.

“But that offer from the Council is still on the table during the period of negotiation and consultation that has started in terms of the redundancies.

“Clearly whatever the outcome we are committed to working with the company and their staff to try and ensure that we support individuals in finding alternative employment and have every sympathy with the staff and their families – for them, this must have come as a bit of a shock.”

MPs and business leaders have also urged the travel firm to reconsider its decision to close the Bradford site, leaving up to 468 people looking for work.

Bradford West MP George Galloway said: “Once again it’s profits rather than people.

“We have already got, in my constituency, the highest level increase of unemployment in the last year than anywhere in the country.

“It’s almost a 30 per cent increase in Bradford West year on year. It’s completely unacceptable. I will be raising this with the management of Thomas Cook, raising it in Parliament and talking to the other Bradford MPs to see if we can have a concerted effort and see if we can keep these Bradford jobs from going.

“We need explanations from Thomas Cook.

“We need a recant from Thomas Cook – these jobs have got to be saved and I will, as I’m sure my fellow Bradford MPs will, do everything we can to try and ensure that.”

Stephen Wright, president of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said: “Any job loss is bad news, but the substantial number in the announcement is clearly disappointing.

“Times continue to be tough for many firms and I’m sure that, like all responsible employers, Thomas Cook’s management will have looked rigorously at all possible options before deciding on this course of action.

“It’s particularly upsetting for those directly affected and we hope they can find alternative employment soon.”

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said he was saddened by the news from the company, which had previously employed a member of his family, as it was a major employer in the area.

He said: “We would ask them to re-examine to see if it was possible to look at any way of keeping the Bradford site open if they could.”

He also said he would be willing to work with other MPs in an effort to keep the jobs from going.

He said: “I think this is what we need to do as MPs. It would be nice of the company to talk to us about why they have done it and what’s their logic behind doing what they have done.”