THE number of Scottish corporate insolvencies in the three months to June was, at 200, down by 24.5 per cent from 265 in the second quarter of last year, figures from the Accountant in Bankruptcy show.

However, the figure for the three months to June was up from 155 in the January to March period.

Tim Cooper, chair of insolvency trade body R3 in Scotland, said this quarter-on-quarter rise was “a reflection of the tricky environment that Scottish firms have found themselves operating in recently, as has been the case everywhere in the UK”.

He flagged an uncertain outlook and a need to prepare for tougher trading conditions.