The directors of Craft Central have placed the business in administration.
Craft Central operates a concession business in garden centres and was set up in 1998 by former Decco md Mike Bateman and former Homebase marketing director Dan King.

Mr Bateman stepped down as a director and company secretary in September 2008. Current directors include Mr King and Henry Stone, former md of the paintbrush maker Mosley-Stone.

Diyweek.net visited one of the concessions, at Knights Garden Centre in Godstone, Surrey, this morning, only to find it closed three weeks ago, suggesting the business has been consolidating or winding down for a while. Phone calls to the company's head office in Manchester go unanswered.

The company only filed abbreviated accounts for the 07/08 financial year, but figure for the 06/07 period show a turnover of just over £5m (up from £3.2m the year before) and a gross profit of £2.6m (up from £1.6m).

The news comes after rival Hobbycraft reported an annual profit increase of 10%.

Rescue and recovery specialist Leonard Curtis was appointed last month and gave the following startement to diyweek.net:

"Andrew Poxon and John Titley, directors at national corporate recovery firm Leonard Curtis, were appointed Joint Administrators for Craft Central Limited on 23rd December 2008. The business is continuing to trade from a number of sites and the administrators are in discussions with a number of interested parties."