Wiltshire civils contractor Avtar falls into administration owing £6m

The firm swung from a £169,400 profit in 2025 to an unaudited £730,800 loss in the year to June 2026, hit by a withdrawn overdraft, bad debt, late payments and rising costs. Unsecured loans and cost cuts failed to resolve its liquidity problems, and a pre-pack sale proved unviable due to termination clauses, limited assets and the petition.

Around 276 unsecured creditors are owed roughly £6m, with no payout expected. HMRC's claim and former staff's preferential claim are also unlikely to be paid. Secured creditor Ultimate Finance is owed £162,700, potentially recoverable through book debt collection.