UCS Civils and UCS Plant in receivership

UCS Civils and UCS Plant were placed in receivership on Monday with the loss of 150 jobs.

The companies made-up the bulk of the £55m-a-year Rand Group and UCS is now in the hands of accountant PricewaterhouseCoopers.

UCS Civils and UCS Plant - both based in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire - hit trouble publicly last Friday when site workers on the £12m Louth Leisure Centre site in Lincolnshire were sent home.

A source close to the project claimed that some workers had not been paid.

He added: "The lads turned up on Friday morning, but they were sent home again almost immediately. There have been rumours about the company for quite some time. Some subcontractors are owed a fortune."

A spokesman for East Lindsey District Council, the client for Louth Leisure Centre, said: "It appears that UCS Civils are in financial difficulty. The main build of the leisure centre is complete, and the pool has even got water in it. We were hoping that it would open in the New Year, but that could be put back. We will look at opportunities to work with some of the subcontractors."

The news follows Rand's move in November last year to put its subsidiary Linpave Building into administration. The only division now trading within the group is Rand Training.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "Receivers were appointed today and 150 jobs are at risk among the 220 total employed by the group.

"Rand Group subsidiary Rand Training Ltd is unaffected by these discussions and continues to trade as normal."

UCS was bought in 2003 through a management buyout led by former Birse director Jonathan Wells.