Over 250 printing jobs are in danger this week after receivers were called in at three more firms.


Silverscreen Print is this weeks biggest casualty. The firm, which employs 148 staff at its sites in Gateshead and Newton Aycliffe, was brought down by the industrys "bush telegraph", according to chairman Keith Wickham.



When the firms failure to meet a 120,000 cheque to Robert Horne became public, "we were doomed", he added. Only a handful of staff remain on each site completing existing orders.



Wimbledon-based Clifford Frost has brought in administrative receiver Levy Gee. Around 50 jobs are at stake.



High-profile chairman John Quinney bought the firm from former employer MPG in 1998. Over the past few months he tried to transform it into a print management business after an outsourced order for 220,000 books was rejected by a customer earlier this year. "That lost me 150,000, and I have supported it all with my own personal money. Its a bloody great black hole and the person holding the black hole is me," he said.



The firm posted sales of 3.3m in the year to March 1999. But it had pre-tax losses of 414,000 and a zero credit rating.



A finisher chasing cash this week was told the bank had "pulled the plug." Receiver Chris Herron from Levy Gee was not available for comment.



Meanwhile, Arthur Andersen has been appointed as administrative receiver by Dorset book printer Element Books and its holding company Element Communications. Joint administrative receiver David Duggins said: "The company will continue to trade and we plan to sell it as a going concern."



Between 50 and 60 staff from the 170-strong workforce have been made redundant at Hardy Business Forms in Castleford, which went into administrative receivership last week, but the firm is upbeat about finding a buyer.



No buyer has yet been found yet for York Direct.



By Jez Abbott and John Davies