The hirer was forced to go into administration because of debts owed to HM Revenue and Customs.

The family-owned business was established nearly 25 years ago and ran a fleet of construction equipment ranging from 1t to 25t tracked excavators for hire across East Anglia.

Simon Plant from SFP Group has been appointed administrator to handle the firm’s affairs. He has already sold the assets of T & A to a former director who owns Adrian Hardesty Services.

A spokesman for the administrator said: “The firm had debts totalling £150,000 and went into administration because of taxes due to HMRC.”

So far this year two other plant hire firms have collapsed, but both have resurfaced as different businesses after administrators struck pre-pack deals with the management.

In the north, Newcastle D & K Plant Hire was placed in to adminstration at the start of the year but 20 staff were later re-employed by  new company D&K Plant Hire.

National crane hirer specialist Bryn Thomas also fell into administration last month but all 46 staff jobs were saved when the assets were sold to Bryn Thomas Cranes and Bryn Thomas Holdings.