A HOLIDAY firm which tricked people into paying for "free" flights and trips away is to be closed down.

Holidays Direct Travel Limited, trading as Holidays Direct and UK Consumer Competitions, targeted people throughout the North-East with the offer of a free holiday for only a £29.50-per-person processing fee.

But many customers failed to receive anything or were only given a holiday if they paid an extra £300.

The Northern Echo previously reported on a number of people who decided not to respond to the initial offer but were still bombarded with invoices for hidden extras.

During the past four months, Darlington Borough Council's trading standards service received more than 60 complaints and inquiries about Holidays Direct.

Complaints were also received against another company, Incentive Marketing Limited, which had been running a similar scheme.

The two firms, whose addresses are not known, are now to be closed down after a winding-up petition was presented to the High Court in London by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt.

Councils around the UK had received similar complaints to those in Darlington and information supplied by the various trading standards departments helped an investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The High Court has now appointed the Official Receiver as provisional liquidator pending the hearing on October 24.

Speaking for Darlington Borough Council, Councillor Stephen Harker said: "We are delighted that as a result of the work done by Trading Standards this company is to be put out of business.

"Our residents have provided the information needed to help not only themselves and the other people of Darlington but ensured that people all over the country will not fall for this con in the future."