Scores of construction workers are facing a dismal Christmas after being told they have no jobs to return to after the holidays.

Staff at Crawley-based construction and haulage firm PJ Brown were told yesterday that the business had gone into administration and they no longer had jobs.

The civil engineering firm, based at Charlwood Road in Ifield, Crawley, has carried out major construction projects across Sussex and employs about 200 people.

Ian Vickers and Phil Armstrong, who are client partners at Vantis Business Recovery Services, a division of Vantis, the UK accounting, tax and business advisory group, have been appointed as joint administrators.

PJ Brown had been involved in work on Shoreham Port for the past nine years.

The firm also worked at Gatwick airport maintaining runways and roads.

PJ Brown, founded in 1980, has also supplied machinery materials and labour for developments at Hills Farm Lane in Horsham, Whitehawk in Brighton and Kings Drive in Eastbourne, as well as other projects across the country.