Business failures up by one-fifth

THERE HAS been a substantial rise in business failures during the first three months of the year, according to a survey published today by the information company Dun & Bradstreet.

Business failures are up by more than one-fifth, from 9,185 in the first quarter of 1998 to 11,093 in the corresponding period of 1999. The East Midlands was the worst-hit region.