The business filed a notice on 20 June that it intends to appoint Peter Godfrey-Evans and Caroline Stark of London-based chartered accountant Mercer & Hole, which has a Milton Keynes outpost, as joint administrators. It has 10 working days from 20 June to appoint administrators.

The notice comes just a week after the departure of two of City Print's directors. According to Companies House, Susan and Neville Vaughan resigned on 13 June. Its active listed directors are David Vaughan, Lindsay Shepherd and Lesley Power. 

A former City Print supplier contacted PrintWeek and said that his company was owed £4,400 in payments dating back to February. He said after not receiving payment initially he had been chasing the company and was “palmed off” for a number of weeks before it stopped taking his calls entirely.

“It’s been going a long time so I would imagine they would have to have had a bad turn,” he said.

The company's phone line currently goes through to an automated voicemail service.

According to its website, City Print, which is based at Denbigh Hall, Bletchley, and founded in 1973, offered short-run digital, general litho, online print management and online fulfilment services. It had ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation.

It lists BSI, Fossil Group, Mercedes Benz, The Open University and Trailfinders among its clients.

In its most recent accounts for the year to 31 March 2016, the business owed creditors £604,942 within the year and £89,514 after more than one year. It had fixed tangible assets of £415,180, a drop of 16% on the previous year, and net current liabilities of £189,314. 

PrintWeek was unable to reach City Print for comment and Mercer & Hole was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.