Troubles ease for Scottish firms

Business distress levels north of the Border have fallen by 4 per cent in the third quarter when compared with the previous three months, according to figures from business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor.

The firm’s quarterly “red flag” alert statistics show that only London and the south-east of England saw similar declines, with almost every other part of the UK recording double-digit percentage rises. Across the UK as a whole, 101,341 companies showed instances of “significant” or “critical” financial problems.