All 27 staff at the firm have been laid off and the builder ceased trading on 1 June .

The  building contractor, which was established in 1895, got into financial trouble after a big reduction in work from a local authority client.

The directors attempted to downsize the business to reflect the reducing turnover earlier this year, but a lack of new contracts forced the appointment of administrators.

Glyn Mummery and Jeremy French, partners at FRP Advisory are handling the builder’s affairs.

Mummery said: “Unfortunately, it was not viable to trade the business, due to a lack of existing contracts and administration was the only option. Regrettably, we therefore had to close the business immediately and make 27 staff redundant.

“Our strategy now is to focus upon the best means for maximising realisations of the company’s premises and chattel assets.”

Mummery added: “This is the third major construction firm in the Essex region that we have been called in to deal with this year, which reflects the widely held view that the sector has slipped back into recession.”