More companies went bust in the last three months of 2000 than during the same period a year earlier.

The number of company insolvencies between October and the end of December stood at 3,697, a rise of 6.7 per cent on the last quarter of 1999. However, the Department of Trade and Industry said more businesses were in existence during 2000 and that meant the percentage of active companies being declared bankrupt was slightly lower than a year earlier at 1.1 per cent.