TRAVEL agents have raised a five figure sum with an appeal to help ‘one of their own’ who was killed in the Manchester Arena bomb attack.

Altrincham travel agent Ken Garrity played a major role in the initiative after he discovered that that those killed in the atrocity included North East travel agent Chloe Rutherford, aged 17.

Chloe and her boyfriend Liam Curry, aged 19, were killed as they left the concert.

Ken and fellow Manchester travel agent Jill Waite set up a Just Giving fund. This raised more than £3000.00 for the Chloe Liam appeal.

This total was boosted by a £2,000 donation from Rotarians in the North West.

Chloe's boss in South Shields, Graeme Brett, the owner of Westoe Travel, started a big prize draw with 55 prizes including air tickets to Dubai, holidays, train tickets and other prizes, which raised more than £6000.

The final figure raised by all the initiatives to help the fund was revealed at a special event held at the Custom House, a theatre in South Shields, which was attended by the families of the couple.

This figure came to £30,107.

Ken, who attended the event, said: "Everyone was overwhelmed with the generosity and support people had given from all over the country especially from the travel trade who also put up the prizes."