BDO has told employees it would be furloughing 700 of its 5,500 UK employees because of the Covid-19 crisis, making it the largest accountancy firm in the UK to do so.

The mid-tier accounting firm's April 15 internal announcement, which takes effect on April 20, will see 470 first-year trainees and 230 support staff take up the government’s package to help tackle unemployment during the downturn.