A record number of bankruptcies were recorded in the first half of this year according to figures published by the national statistics office CBS on Wednesday.

Some 3,500 companies and organisations were declared bankrupt in the six months of 2009, which is more than double the number in the same period last year, said the CBS.
The automobile, wholesale, commercial services (especially temp agencies, consultancies and architects) and wholesale sectors as well as clothing and DIY stores were hardest hit, according to the CBS figures.
The number of individuals who went bankrupt in the same period was 16% higher at 1,800.
Most of these were in the provinces of South and North Holland (which includes Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam) and South and North Brabant.