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Pochin鈥檚 Construction, the Cheshire-based contractor which went into administration over the summer, is facing nearly 拢20m in non-performance claims over schemes it was working on when it went bust.

Liabilities relating to jobs that ground to a halt when the group collapsed in August were being 鈥渁ssessed鈥� but have been put at 拢18.3m.

Joint administrator Sarah O鈥橳oole from accountant Grant Thornton said Pochin鈥檚 Construction owed a total of 拢89m to various unsecured creditors, who were set to receive just 0.4p in the pound.

Creditors taking a hit include Japanese insurance giant Tokio Marine, which is owned more than 拢5m, while more than 拢328,000 is owed to Salford-based electrical engineering group Quartzelec.

The firm鈥檚 main lender NatWest is a secured creditor which has been told it will get its missing 拢8.6m back.

Pochin鈥檚 Construction was pursuing several claims around legacy and current schemes worth 拢13.4m of which nearly 拢6m related to seven jobs the firm was working on when it collapsed.

These funds were being pursued by the administrators 鈥渇or the benefit of the creditors鈥�, O鈥橳oole added.

The 拢50m turnover group ran into trouble on four problem residential schemes in Manchester it had been developing since 2015 which generated losses in excess of 拢17m.

The jobs suffered from unspecified design issues which led to 鈥渟ignificant delays鈥�, while O鈥橳oole said efforts to clawback losses on the jobs proved 鈥減rotracted and costly鈥�.

A planned re-jig of the construction business failed, as did attempts to raise cash through selling off land and property assets.

In January this year, the group reported losses of 拢6.3m for the year to the end of February 2018 on turnover of 拢50.4m.

In May directors, brothers James and Robert Nicholson, pumped 拢1.5m into the business to prop up the group鈥檚 construction arm, but a failure to secure new work and missing out on bridging finance meant it was unable to continue trading.

The business went into administration on 5 August owing suppliers and sub-contractors nearly 拢9m and 拢11.6m to inter-company creditors. The firm also had a pension deficit of 拢25m.

Pochin鈥檚 had 拢702,000 cash in the bank when it went bust, according to the administrators鈥� report.

The group had been wholly owned by Pochin鈥檚 Limited, which simultaneously went into administration with its subsidiary.

The parent firm had just 拢9,388 cash in the bank when it went under, according to the administrator鈥檚 accounts.

Pochin鈥檚 was founded as a joinery business in Manchester in the 1930s by the Nicholsons鈥� grandfather Cedric. It employed 120 people with more than 90 working for the contracting arm.