The ground engineering contractor revealed that a weak April had dragged full-year performance below previous board expectations.

Van Elle said the “challenging trading conditions” flagged at interim stage had persisted through the rest of FY26, with trading during April proving “weaker than anticipated”. Adjusted pre-tax profit for the year ended April 2026 is now expected to come in below earlier forecasts.

The profit warning landed on the same day shareholders approved the recommended takeover by Strabag UK.

Strabag’s move for the business gives the European construction giant a major foothold in the UK geotechnical and piling market.