Specialists who were working with the collapsed Gateshead based contractor fear a massive impact across the North East supply chain.

One told the Enquirer: “We are hearing the shortfall will be around £50m which is going to have huge repercussions across the region.”

Another added: “We have been having trouble getting money out of them for months.

“It will be the same old story of the supply chain left in the lurch because of the failings of a main contractor.”

The whole Tolent group was placed in the hands of administrators from Interpath Advisory on Monday.

Interpath is currently trying to sell parts of the business and novate live contracts.

Latest accounts at the main £200m-turnover Tolent construction business show that as of December 31 2021 it owed £43m to trade creditors.