Auckland’s High Court has had to schedule extra sessions to cope with the increasing number of companies going under.

The number of businesses being placed into liquidation is rising dramatically as the recession bites: last week in Auckland alone, more than 100 companies were called in court proceedings to be closed or placed into liquidation.

Some of these involve the closure of solvent companies, at the behest of directors.

But a much bigger proportion of the businesses are facing calls from creditors, often Inland Revenue, to be wound up.