AN engineering company has been placed in voluntary liquidation with the loss of ten jobs.
Middridge Precision Engineers, in Shildon, County Durham, has lost the majority of its income over the past two years as its main customers either closed or took work in-house.
It was placed in liquidation yesterday with liabilities of about £274,000 - £180,000 of which was owed to the two directors and their other companies, which had been supporting Middridge.
One of the latest blows to the business was the demise of Presswork Metals, in Newton Aycliffe, which closed earlier this year with the loss of nearly 100 jobs.
Other main customers included Electrolux Refrigeration and Sanjo Electric Manufacturing.
Liquidators said last night that the loss of income, together with growing competition from abroad and major rises in steel prices had led to the company's closure.
Eamonn Wall, of ICS North-East, said: "The demise of Middridge is testament to the current state of manufacturing in this country.
"A previously strong performing company has succumbed to the knock-on effect of the growing competition from abroad."
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