Andersen puts offices up for sale

THE UK arm of Andersen, auditor of bankrupt energy trader Enron, has put more than 10% of its London office space on the market as it makes 1,500 staff redundant. It has instructed property agent ATIS Real Weatheralls to market its properties surrounding its headquarters at 180 Strand, according to Property Week magazine.

Andersen has leases on two properties, 38,000 square feet in Bush House and 12,000 square feet in nearby Arundel Street.

Andersen announced in the midst of the Chancellor's Budget speech on Wednesday that it planned to make 1,500 people redundant. UK managing partner John Ormerod explained: 'The combination of difficult economic conditions and the effects of the Enron situation means the UK firm is not achieving the levels of business activity on which our headcount is based.'

The firm has lost clients such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and its US subsidiary Fox Entertainment as well as engineering group Mayflower and Anglo-US fund manager Amvescap.