HOLIDAY giant Airtours today sparked a takeover battle in the city by launching a £852million bid for rivals First Choice.

If successful the bid would see Airtours become the biggest tour operator in the country - just 21 years after former Burnley travel agency tea boy David Crossland launched the firm in East Lancashire.

The bid from the Rossendale-based firm beats a rival offer from Switzerland's Kuoni by 54 per cent.

Airtours today said if the deal went ahead there would be "substantial benefits for customers, staff and shareholders of the enlarged Airtours Group" which employs more than 1,200 people at its Helmshore and Accrington centres.

It would see the enlarged Airtours group carrying more than 14 million passengers a year, operating 1,200 travel agencies, flying 67 aircraft, running 26 hotels, 11 cruise ships and employing 25,000 people. IT would be one of the UK's top 100 stock market firms.

First Choice said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange it would consider the fresh offer.

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