More than 450 city centre jobs are being axed by struggling travel giant Thomas Cook which is to close its city centre operations centre The move is part of a ‘location strategy review’ by the historic firm, which has operated the landmark site in Aldermanbury since 2000. The office will close by the end of March next year..

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland boss Ian Ailles said the decision was ‘regrettable’ but the best option for the ailing group’s turnaround programme.

Bosses told staff about the closure plan yesterday afternoon and the company has entered a formal 90-day consultation process with unison and staff representatives. It is expected that the run down of the Aldermanbury office will start in December.

There are currently 537 staff based at the city centre site and 69 will be transferred to Cooks other local operations centre at Birkenshaw, which employs 113 people, leaving 468 people at risk of redundancy.

Some staff could be offered alternative roles in other Cook centres at Falkirk in Scotland, Peterborough and Preston.

Ian Ailles, chief executive Mainstream, said: “Thomas Cook is one of the largest employers in the travel industry, with 19,000 people working across the UK business. As part of the previously announced UK turnaround, we have regrettably advised colleagues in our Bradford office that we’re proposing to close it by March next year, relocating some roles to our other UK sites in Birkenshaw, Peterborough and Falkirk.

“We looked at several options as part of our location strategy review and today’s proposal is considered to be the most effective. I’d like to thank our colleagues in our Bradford site for their professionalism as we now enter a period of consultation.”

Mr Ailles said the closure was necessary as part of improving Thomas Cook’s profitability and insisted it would result in improved customer service.

“As ever, we’re proud that our customers will still always be able to speak to someone in the UK – should they need to – from whenever they call before, during and after their Thomas Cook holiday,” he said.

Thomas Cook moved into the Aldermanbury building after taking over the Sunworld travel business which had occupied it since 1996.

Thomas Cook’s Mainstream business also employs 252 customer service staff at Falkirk and 434 at Peterborough.

Unions have described the move as a “scandal” and blamed the job losses on former chief executive Manny Fontenia-Novoa.

Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA travel union, said: “Thomas Cook is largely in the mess it is because of the mismanagement of former chief executive Manny Fontenla, who was paid an astonishing £15 million for driving the company towards the very edge of the cliff.

“Now hundreds of our members are going to pay the price of that mismanagement with their jobs. It is a scandal.”

Last month Thomas Cook agreed a £1.4 billion deal with lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays to extend the maturity of its bank loans to 2015. The deal followed a crisis for the 170-year-old firm which issued three profit warnings, saw the departure of its chief executive and was forced to take a £200 million loan.

Harriett Green, who has led a turnaround of Leeds-based electronics firm Premier Farnell, will join Thomas Cook as its new chief executive on June 30.