260 more jobs to go at Rok

A further 260 redundancies have been announced by the administrator at the Exeter-based building services firm Rok, after a deal to save part of the business collapsed.

The losses come from the plumbing, heating and electrical (PHE) division in Scotland, and are in addition to the 711 cuts announced on Wednesday, the administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers said. At that time, PwC was still in talks with a potential buyer for part of the PHE division.

Rok's demise follows half-year losses of £3.8m and after an independent review by accountants BDO uncovered serious failings at the PHE business. The self-styled "nation's local builder" was hit hard during the financial crisis, when it lost several private and public clients.