More companies are on the brink of insolvency in the East of England than at any point during the year to date.

Nearly three in 10 businesses are at a higher-than-normal risk of going into liquidation, according to research by insolvency trade body R3.

The equivalent of 98,500 firms in the East of England are at risk, figures for August show.

At 29.4% of businesses, the rate is nearly five points higher than January's figure of 24.6%.

Technology and IT continues to be the highest-risk sector surveyed by R3 in the Eastern region, with more than a third – 36.7% – of businesses at above-average risk of insolvency.

R3 Eastern chairman Mark Upton said: 'Higher inflation means higher input prices for businesses on the one hand and squeezed disposable income for consumers on the other. Added to this mix is wavering consumer confidence, while the election outcome and Brexit negotiations continue to cause uncertainty.'