Concrete specialist suffers the greatest loss as creditors list reveals extent of damage to industry

Concrete contractor John Doyle was left 拢1.9m out of pocket by the collapse of Verry Construction in May.

The firm is one of an estimated 1,000 companies that are owed a total of 拢19m, including many architects and consultants.

According to a 42-page report by administrator BDO Stoy Hayward, Make Architects is owed 拢53,200, Wilkinson Eyre 拢60,592 and Schmidt Hammer Lassen, the designer of the City of Westminster college, is owed 拢198,118.

Doyle鈥檚 losses stemmed from its work on the 拢67.7m college. This has since been re-started by McLaren Construction, which last month paid 拢810,000 for an undisclosed number of Verry鈥檚 contracts.

Doyle chairman Stef Stefanou said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 regrettable when companies go under but it鈥檚 no surprise this has happened as a result of the credit crunch. In terms of the Westminster job we reached an agreement with the new main contractor McLaren to carry out work so the programme will not be delayed.鈥

According to the report from BDO, creditors are unlikely to recover any of their money. It said: 鈥淏ased on the information available, there will be insufficient property to enable a dividend to be paid to unsecured creditors.鈥

Consultants owed money by Verry include Ramboll Group (拢89,242), Arup (拢67,465), Buro Happold (拢60,192), Mouchel (拢93,478), Faber Maunsell (拢18,341) and Cyril Sweett (拢2,568).

Other contractors to be hit include M&E firm Briggs & Forrester (拢447,355), Hague Construction (拢291,584), Barhale Construction (拢112,791), Travis Perkins (拢52,219), Telford Homes (拢16,098) and Kier Plant (拢11,885).

The report also shows that Leadbitter paid 拢100,000 to take over Verry鈥檚 Oaklands college project in St Albans in May. Former Verry chairman John Gibson is now working for Leadbitter in a senior consultancy role.

Last week 黑洞社区 revealed that Verry paid the wages of St Albans City football club, a company owned by failed parent William Verry Holdings.

Verry鈥檚 other creditors

It wasn鈥檛 just construction firms that were hurt in the collapse 鈥

  • Lawyer Davis Arnold Cooper 拢308,926
  • Office Angels 拢12,491
  • Museum of London 拢3,777
  • Thames Water 拢31,844
  • British Gas 拢7,913
  • Electrolux Professional 拢56,853
  • 罢-惭辞产颈濒别&苍产蝉辫;拢920
  • The RICS 拢896