Bailiffs have begun sequestering bank accounts and other assets belonging to 400 companies which, officials say, wrongly claimed government coronavirus support.

The companies all have made claims under the TVL scheme to pay fixed costs, government agency RVO said.

The cash was available to firms which said they had lost at least 30% of their turnover and therefore could not pay permanent items such as rent.

Finance ministry inspectors said earlier this year they had indications of fraud, and started an investigation. No details have yet been made public, but more sequestration orders are pending, the RVO said.

In total, 241,000 requests for help have been made under the TVL scheme.