Rise in debt-crippled firms given order to shut down

BRITAIN'S businesses are being shut down at a rate not seen since the financial crash, analysis shows.

- By Simon Hunt

In a major warning sign for the health of the UK economy, more than 1,100 companies faced winding-up orders in the first 15 weeks of 2025.

That is up nearly a quarter compared with last year and the fastest rate of corporate closure since 2010.

Nearly 2,200 have also faced winding-up petitions — a move by creditors to claw back unpaid debts. This is up more than a fifth since 2024 and the highest rate since 2012.