Swansea based Dawnus Construction Holdings has filed a notice to appoint an administrator and work has stopped on all of its sites across the UK.

Hundreds of staff are facing redundancy and the supply chain is braced for millions of pounds of losses when Grant Thornton officially take control of the company.

In recent years Dawnus has become the lead contractor for many infrastructure and building projects in Wales particularly in the public sector.

Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group Wales/Cymru National Esecutive Officer Catharine Griffiths-Williams said: “Nearly all the work carried out by Dawnus was outsourced to SMEs which will now bear the brunt of losses.

“Again this highlights the financial fragility of the large construction firms and the consequent risks to their subcontractors which could now lose millions of pounds.

“The impact on the Welsh economy could be very damaging. There is also a human cost involved.

“I’m very concerned for the people in Wales who worked for Dawnus and its subcontractors whose jobs will now be at stake.”

Latest accounts for Dawnus Construction Holdings for 2017 show the firm made a pre-tax loss of £1.7m from turnover of £118.5m and employed 269 people.