Administrators from FRP Advisory took control of the business in May.

An update on the administration filed at Companies House said the firm was sunk by a combination of rising materials costs, project delays and defect liability claims.

It also detailed the level of debts with 208 unsecured creditors left holding unpaid invoices.

FRP said suppliers would get some money back for their debts once the company’s assets were realised during a liquidation.

Howard Russell worked across the UK as a design and build contractor for a wide range of sectors.

Latest results for the firm for the year to March 31 2022 show a pre-tax profit of £790,000 from a turnover of £43.5m with 31 staff working at the company.

In its forecast for this year Howard Russell was predicting a turnover of up to £80m based on a rising number of negotiated contracts.