Teletext Holidays has denied claims by marketing portal icelolly.com that it is planning to buy the group.
Icelolly.com issued a statement yesterday saying: “We are actively pursuing taking over Teletext. It has become an outdated service and we would be looking to bring it up to date and make it successful again.”
Les Etienne, co-owner of icelolly.com, which owns travel agency Sunsave, said the company had yet to put in an official bid. But she said: “It is a serious bid; it’s something we have spoken about for a few years and we are in a position to make an offer.”
Mike Stewart, managing director of Teletext, which is owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, said there had been no contact from icelolly.com. “I am surprised that such a false statement was issued and concerned that any professional management team would allow this to happen.”
Teletext Holidays has to decide whether it will switch off its analogue travel service in January 2010, instead of 2012, but has announced it will shut its news and information services from the start of next year.
Teletext Holidays managing director Victoria Sanders said she had received concerned calls from most of her clients who had been sent the statement. She added that any serious bid would have been treated in a confidential manner and branded the statement a public relations exercise.