Another 235 jobs lost in Rok collapse

A FURTHER 235 jobs, including posts in Leeds, are to go at building services firm Rok following the sale of parts of the firm, administrators have revealed.

Operations in Leeds, Reading, Crawley, Bristol and Exeter will be closed, taking the total job losses at the failed company to almost 2,800.

The move was confirmed as administrators PwC announced that Mansell Construction Services, a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty, had agreed to buy Rok's social housing arm in the South and North West, as well as construction plants at Milton Keynes, Gatwick and Heathrow.

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PwC said it was "delighted" that the deal would save 381 jobs, including 202 in Rochdale and 11 in Wakefield.

PwC's business recovery services partner in the North, Toby Underwood, said: "In addition we have retained a small number of employees across the North to help with the orderly closure of various locations.

"As we have already committed, those employees who continue to be employed by the company and attend work will continue to be paid."

Rok, the self-styled "nation's local builder", appointed PwC as administrators last week after it fell into difficulties in meeting its "financial obligations".

The Exeter-based firm suffered during the financial crisis, when it lost several private and public sector clients, and fell into further trouble after extreme weather conditions earlier this year.