Hong Kong  - The Hong Kong branch of the international language school Linguagphone has filed for liquidation as bankruptcies soar in the former British colony, official statistics showed Saturday.

The local holder of the Linguaphone licence posted a notice on its website this week announcing it had ceased operating and asking students and those who had bought self-learning packages to contact an appointed provisional liquidator.

The closure is believed to affect around 20 workers and 500 students at the school which offered language classes in addition to the self-learning packages that made Linguaphone a household name.

The school is the latest victim of the economic downturn. Government figures released Friday showed bankruptcy orders soared 94 per cent in December 2008 compared to the same month a year earlier.

Bankruptcy petitions also rose by 84 per cent.

News reports Saturday said the Hong Kong licensee of Linguaphone, Joy Force Limited, was believed to have taken the decision to cease operating because of the economic crisis which had hit profits and revenue.

Clive Sawkins, chief executive of the Linguaphone Group based in London, told the South China Morning Post it was with great sadness the group acknowledged the decision of the master licensee partner in Hong Kong to cease trading.

Linguaphone opened in Hong Kong around 30 years ago offering language lessons with the self-learning kits first developed by founder Jacques Roston in England more than a century ago.

Hong Kong is now officially in recession after government statistics recorded a second consecutive quarter of contracting economic growth between July and September. (dpa)