The figures were produced by PricewaterhouseCooper, and add some detail to Government figures published today which show insolvencies up across all sectors, except manufacturing.

Commenting on the construction figures, Barry Gilbertson, partner in the property team at PwC, said:

"In addition to the high numbers of construction insolvencies, the real estate sector is also starting to show some signs of pain with an 18% increase in insolvencies on the last quarter and a 92% increase on the same quarter last year with 117 insolvencies.

“It is clear that the consumer downturn is now starting to have a real effect on the construction industry, but the slowdown in the industry is not yet fully visible. A large number of the construction insolvencies are sub-contractors to the housing industry whose pipelines of work have all but dried up following the slowdown in residential property as many projects are mothballed or stopped before they even begin."