The UK accounting regulator is to look into EY’s auditing of Thomas Cook’s 2018 finances in the wake of the 178-year-old travel operator’s liquidation.

The probe into EY could heap yet more pressure on one of the country’s so-called Big Four accountancy firms, which have drawn heavy criticism in recent years following high-profile corporate collapses and scandals, including Carillion, the construction group, and Patisserie Valerie, the café chain.