The Enquirer understands that agency workers were told to down tools suddenly last Friday on NRS – Noel Regan & Sons – sites across the UK.

The contractor’s website is currently offline for “scheduled maintenance” and no-one was available to comment further following calls to the Livingston head office.

One affected worker told the Enquirer: “It was a total shock to me and everyone on the job.

“All the lads employed through the agency were told to leave the site immediately  and a soon as I put the phone down from that call a company turned up at the gates to take away all NRS’s kit.

“I’m a self-employed contractor on the job and haven’t been told anything direct by NRS and they won’t answer my calls despite owing me money.”

Latest accounts filed at Companies House show Noel Regan & Sons Building & Civil Engineering Contractors UK Ltd made a pre-tax loss of £2.3m in 2020 from a turnover of £18.2m

Its financial forecasts for 2021 and 2022 were a turnover of £32.7m and £32.8m generating an underlying profit of £3.1m and £2m.

Last summer NRS Group announced a £40m haul of  new contract wins.