PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the administrators to failed building group Rok, have axed more than 700 jobs.

PwC said the redundancies were due to "little or no interest" in parts of the business from prospective buyers or "insufficient work for staff to carry out". Of the 711 cuts, 558 are in the maintenance and improvements division.

PwC was called into Rok on Monday after the company, which works on construction projects and repairs buildings for insurers and councils, shocked the City by collapsing.

Mike Jervis, joint administrator, said more than 100 expressions of interest have been received from potential buyers of Rok or its contracts.

PwC is reducing this to a shortlist. Mr Jervis added: "We are short-listing bidders on the basis of their size, level of interest in acquiring large parts of the business and their speed of reaction. We expect to have further updates by the end of the week."

Rok, which employed 3,800 people, is understood to have suffered a "tightening of credit" from suppliers and customers after issuing a profits warning in August. A last-minute attempt to secure emergency financing failed at the weekend, it is understood.

Mr Jervis said PwC had offered axed Rok staff the "opportunity to attend a site in person or take part in a conference call".