RESPECTED family construction firm HA & DB Kitchin went into voluntary administration last week after reporting a serious downturn in its business.

Based at Will Hall Farm on Basingstoke Road, the company had been trading in and around the Alton area for 40 years and currently has 11 live development projects on 10 sites.

They include a 70-bedroom care home and 16 houses on a site adjacent to Bourne Mill on the Shepherd and Flock roundabout in Farnham.

Neil Gostelow and Rob Croxen of KPMG have been appointed joint administrators and have retained some of the 28 employees while they explore options to save the projects, which are in various stages of completion.