Andrew Andronikou and Peter Kubik of UHY Hacker & Young were appointed this afternoon, following chief executive Mike Dolan’s controversial closure of the company on 26 April.

The move comes the same day as Unite presented a petition to the Birmingham District Registry of the High Court seeking the winding up of the company, citing fears that Dolan was continuing to run the company with agency staff.

Dolan reaffirmed his denial that any agency staff had been to the site since its closure.

PrintWeek can also reveal that a former employee of the company approached Dolan with an interest in buying the business as a going concern.

However, Dolan said that the individual had not demonstrated an "intention or ability" to cover the unsecured creditors or to fund an ongoing operation. Therefore a decision was taken that it was in the best interests of the creditors of the company to continue with the proposed liquidation.

The move comes as former employees continue to picket the site in Frome, Somerset, attempting to disrupt the final orders being processed at the site.

Butler and Tanner was bought out of administration by MPI in August 2007. While MPI has said the business was profitable up to December, changes to the working practices were need­­ed to sustain profitability.

Unite found the proposed changes unacceptable and its members at the firm voted in favour of strike action.

Dolan has said that action by the unions and its members led to the decision to close the company. However, the union blames Dolan for ramping up the dispute prior to the closure, which has put 287 staff out of work.