The firm said it was in good shape for challenges ahead ending the year with a strong cash position at £122m.

Alan Robertson CEO of VolkerWessels UK said that Covid-19 had had a limited impact on the business which continued to deliver key infrastructure projects.

He said: “Operations have not been significantly impacted due to our ability to manage our diverse customer and supplier base.

“Overall we estimate that the impact of Covid-19 has led to a decrease in our revenue of slightly less than 10% and a similar impact on our gross margin in absolute terms.”

According to latest published results, revenue last year jumped a fifth to £1.18bn despite challenging market conditions, with VolkerFitzpatrick putting in a strong performance.

Pre-tax profit rose by almost 10% to £32m, although group operating margin was squeezed slightly to 2.7%.

Robertson said VolkerWessels UK had a strong forward secured order book at around £1.2bn, although slightly down from last year’s record £1.37bn.

He said: “We remain focused on growing the business through improving operational efficiencies and investing in new technology.

“Our spread of projects and standing on key frameworks ensures that the group is well positioned to take advantage of public and private sector opportunities that arise in the UK.”