County court judgements against companies in Northern Ireland have risen by over one third, new figures have revealed.

Data analysts ICC found a total of 1,042 country court judgements (CCJs), with a combined total value of £4.6m, were handed down in 2009. This compares to £3.8m sought through 713 CCJs in 2008.

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Just under one third of all judgments were south against companies within the construction industry. Manufacturing companies followed closely in second place.

The study revealed that actions for unpaid debt rose from £673,000 in the final quarter of 2008 to just under £900,000 in the same period a year later.

Over half of the CCJs in 2009 were sought against companies in Co. Antrim, while Fermanagh firms were the lowest offenders with 3%.

Tyrone was the only country to record a fall in the value of CCJs in the last quarter of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

(NS/BMcc)