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Engineer Buro Happold has been forced to make a provision of 拢1.3m due in part to concerns over late payments.

The firm鈥檚 latest accounts, filed at Companies House, show that on 1 May 2011 Happold LLP, the parent company of the Buro Happold group of companies, had provisions totalling 拢827,000 but that this rose the next year to 拢2m.

Buro Happold鈥檚 chief executive Paul Westbury said the firm had increased the provision 鈥渁s a reflection of the payment difficulties being experienced by some clients鈥�.

The firm added that said part of the provision was to 鈥渕eet liabilities arising from overseas employment legislation鈥�.

However, the firm reported a pre-tax profit of 拢7.8m in the year to 30 April 2012, up from 拢7.7m the year before.

This came despite a drop-off in turnover of 拢7.2m to 拢116.8m over the period.

Happold reported a slight fall in UK turnover to 拢55m in 2012, down from 拢52m the year before, and a fall in revenue from outside Europe to 拢52m, down from 拢64m in 2011.

But it reported a rise in revenue from mainland Europe to 拢9.4m, up from 拢8m the year before.

Westbury said: 鈥淭he group has not been immune from the reduction in global activity levels in the construction industry. There has been pressure on margins as fee competition becomes ever more intense.鈥�

He added the group was 鈥渃ontinually working to reduce its cost base鈥� to 鈥渕eet the challenges placed on it to compete in these most challenging economic circumstances鈥�.

He said this accounted for the small increase in profit.

Westbury predicted a return to more robust profit in the 2012-13 financial year, but he highlighted recruiting and retaining staff and the highly competitive marketplace as key risks to the business.

Staff numbers fell as it cut the number of technical staff from 1,022 to 995 over the period.