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A County Down construction firm has closed resulting in about 100 job losses.

JMC Mechanical and Construction is based in Waringstown, but has premises in Bleary and Lisburn as well.

Its work includes providing maintenance services to the Housing Executive and other social housing providers.

The reported workers were told on Monday afternoon by the firm's owner James McCully and an accountant.

The family business was established in 2000.

Speaking to ´óÏó´«Ã½ News NI, Sinn Féin assembly member John O'Dowd said employees were "called in and told they had no work".

"They were told they weren't going to be paid for last week's work and there was also a question mark over redundancy," he added.

"My main concern is for the workers and their families.

"I already have a question in to the economy minister asking how his department are going to support and protect these workers and have already made contact with the liquidators."

Democratic Unionist Party MP for Upper Bann Carla Lockhart said it was devastating news for employees and their families.

She said JMC was a longstanding and respected company that had "obviously suffered greatly as a result of the pandemic".

SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly said the news came as a "huge shock".

"I am heartened to hear that a number of employees have already secured jobs and hope the rest will soon, especially at a time when skilled tradespeople are in such high demand," she added.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: "We are sorry to hear that one of our contractors, JMC Ltd, has announced that it is entering liquidation.

"The company was the repairs contractor for our tenants in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area and was also the contractor for a number of improvement schemes across Lisburn and Castlereagh and the Belfast area.

"Our priority at this stage is to ensure minimal disruption to services for tenants and those planned maintenance improvement works which are on site."