ONE of York's most creative companies, aerial photography firm Skycell Ltd, is set to go into voluntary liquidation.

The firm, based at the Innovation Centre at the York Science Park in Heslington, is holding a meeting of its creditors on Tuesday, June 29.

The firm was started by York graduates Dan Huke and John Jones in 2001 when the pair came up with the idea of taking photographs using airships. Aerial pictures are taken using cameras mounted on to radio controlled airships, which can go places inaccessible by other aircraft.

Skycell was recently in the limelight when its Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) took more than 800 photographs inside York Minster to help the cathedral carry out restoration work on its 14th century stained glass windows in April.

Its technology has also been used to take photographs of a snow-covered York, carrying out surveys and taking videos from the air.

The future had looked bright for the business. It was a finalist in the New Business category of the Evening Press Business Awards in 2002.

Last December it got a £25,000 boost from the York Technology Growth Scheme, allowing Skycell to develop remote control so advanced that the company's technology could be used to watch shoplifters in shopping centres or zoom in on potential troublemakers at sporting events.

But now Skycell looks set to go into liquidation next Tuesday.

Dave Broadbent, of Dave Horner and Company insolvency practitioners, told the Evening Press: "We have been instructed by the directors of Skycell to assist them in convening a meeting of creditors, the purpose of which is to place the company into liquidation."

The creditors' meeting will be held at 10.30am at the offices of Dave Horner and Company at Clifton Moor, York.

Andrew Griffiths, of Science City York, said it would be disappointing if Skycell went into liquidation.

"However," he said, "it does highlight the difficulties that young technology-based businesses face and their need for specialist support to help them get through the start-up phase."

Nobody from Skycell was available for comment at the time of going to press.

Updated: 09:54 Tuesday, June 22, 2004