Proline had been working on two major Forrest sites in Machester – the X1 Gateway where it had a £3.7m M&E package and the X1 Plaza.

Manchester based Proline is now working with business advisors Cowgills to  explore options including administration.

The company could also keep the Proline name and brand in a slimmed-down business

Group Managing Director Michael Fraser said the Forrest situation had caused a “devastating effect on our staff, subcontractors and suppliers and we are sincerely sorry for this.”

Forrest is selling its social housing and energy divisions to Engie after refinancing talks for the business failed.

Forrest’s new build business is still in limbo after work stopped on all of its sites including the Manchester jobs where Proline was working.

Fraser said: “We are a profitable business and have always operated in the right way but this has been a catastrophic event.

“We are just getting through things day by day at the moment.

“We’ve not heard anything from Forrest for a while.

“There’s a lot of goodwill towards our business and suppliers and clients have been very supportive.”

Proline currently employs 22 apprentices including a quartet let go by Forrest earlier this year.

Latest accounts for Proline Group show the company made a pre-tax profit of £468,000 from a turnover of £11.3m during the year to September 2017.