The long-term survival of Ilford, one of the great names in black and white photography, has been thrown into doubt by the appointment of administrators at the 125-year-old group, following a collapse in demand for its traditional photographic products caused by the rapid growth in digital cameras.

Mark Byers, Malcolm Shierson and Les Ross, partners at Grant Thornton, have been appointed joint administrators of Ilford Imaging, parent of a group employing 1,500 staff. They have also been appointed joint receivers of Ilford Imaging UK.