The number of companies with overdue invoices rose in October, new data shows.

R3, the UK's trade body for restructuring, turnaround, and insolvency, said that insolvency-related activity in the South East, including Buckinghamshire, increased from 187 in September to 210 in October.

This is a 12.3 per cent monthly rise, although it is 28.3 per cent below the same period in 2024, which saw a spike in activity.

The South East ranks sixth in the UK for insolvency-related activities.

The number of start-ups in the South East fell from 6,406 in September to 6,220 in October but is still 2.3 per cent up on a year ago.

Creditsafe, a multinational business intelligence provider, also noted a slight increase in the number of companies with overdue invoices, rising from 57,558 in September to 57,702 in October from its data.

Neil Stewart, chairman of R3’s Southern and Thames Valley region, said: "We remain in a period of great economic uncertainty which inevitably leads to fluctuations, but a 10 per cent rise in September followed by October’s 12.3 per cent is clearly a cause for concern."

He added that businesses face considerable pressure due to higher costs, proactive creditor measures, sluggish national growth, high borrowing costs, and subdued customer spending.

He encouraged business owners in the South and Thames Valley to stay vigilant, adding: "Our message to directors is simple: be alert to signs your business could be financially distressed and seek advice as soon as there is a hint of financial difficulty."