Rok administrators announce 711 jobs to go

More than 100 companies have shown interest in buying parts of Rok

More than 700 jobs are to go at troubled Devon-based building services firm Rok.

Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers announced 711 cuts at the firm, which employs about 4,000 people.

Most of the losses - 558 - are going across Rok's maintenance and improvements business.

A further 82 redundancies are being made in the construction division, 69 in the Scotland plumbing business and two in Rok's Exeter office.

In August, the company reported a £3.8m loss for the first half of the year.

Just one week before the results, the group said it had uncovered "serious failings" in financial and operational controls.

Both Rok plc and Rok Building Limited have been placed in administration.

Rok provides building services for councils, schools, housing associations and businesses.

Work to build 30 affordable homes in Paignton has already come to a halt.

Trelawney Landscaping, which is based near Bodmin in Cornwall, is owed about £80,000 by Rok and had future contracts worth between £300,000 and £400,000 with the company.

Mike Jervis of PricewaterhouseCoopers said more than 100 firms had shown interest in buying parts of Rok.

He said: "Regrettably, the redundancies made today were necessary for economic reasons where there has been little or no interest in the business from prospective purchasers or where there was insufficient work for staff to carry out."