Insolvency Service
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
The Insolvency Service liaises with West Midlands police to close down a group of 98 companies formed and run with fraudulent intent.
Ninety eight (98) companies believed to have been incorporated and controlled by certain known individuals with fraudulent intent have been wound up in the High Court following an investigation by Company Investigations of the Insolvency Service.
The winding up orders were all made on 5 October 2011. None of the companies were represented at court.
The investigation found that all of the companies (see full list below) were incorporated by or on behalf of Darren Steadman, John Smythe, Alan Ward and David Flew.
The case against the Companies was based on a number of shared ‘incriminating factors’ that strongly suggested they had all been incorporated and run for fraudulent purposes. Whilst all the companies appeared to be actually or almost dormant many had filed accounts at Companies House implying extensive and profitable trading histories which were intended to induce the granting of credit facilities.
The case relied on 7 ‘incriminating factors’ which were present to a greater or lesser degree in all the 98 companies and which proved sufficiently persuasive for the court to wind them up. These factors were:
§ The companies were all bought from formation agents by Darren Steadman or one of three individuals closely linked to him; Messrs Ward, Smythe or Flew
§ That the purchaser’s contact address is at either 162 Causeway Green Road, Oldbury, Birmingham B68 8LJ or 27 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2EW;
§ That the company had a registered office at 162 Causeway Green Road, Birmingham. In fact this address was abandoned and could not be used as a contact address;
§ That the company’s filed accounts show significant trading history prior to purchase from formation agents;
§ That the company has a filed turnover figure exactly matching that of at least one other company;
§ That the company is linked to Darren Steadman by documents found during a police search at his home;
§ That the company has not responded to investigator enquiries;
Commenting on the case, an Investigation supervisor, Geoff Hanna said;
"This action was the culmination of several investigations carried out with support from the West Midlands police into a large number of companies incorporated and controlled by certain individuals who are believed to be behind a systematic abuse of limited liability companies. Members of the public and the business community should be able to rely on information filed at Companies House and we will not allow the reputation of the UK’s corporate regime to be tarnished by allowing such systematic abuses to continue with impunity."
The petitions to wind up these companies in the public interest were presented to the High Court under s.124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on dates between 25 th and 27 th May 2011.
Ends
______________________________________________________________
Notes to Editors
1. A full alphabetical list of the 98 companies, their dates of incorporation and registered office addresses are as follows:
| Name |
Date of Incorporation | Registered Office |
| A1 Import & Export Ltd | 13/04/2006 | 522 Coventry Road Birmingham B10 0UN |
| AJB Recruitment Ltd | 22/11/2005 |
210-222 Trigate House Hagley Road West Oldbury W Midlands B68 0NP |
|
Annual Return Filing Services Ltd |
20/05/2005 | 204 Station Street Burton on Trent Staffordshire DE14 1AN |
|
Apex Electricals & Plumbing Ltd |
14/12/2004 | 21 Comberton Hill
|
| Aunty Joans Puddings Ltd |
23/11/2005 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Avon Property Services Ltd |
02/11/2006 | The Techno Centre Puma Way Coventry CV1 2TT |
| Barry Young Enterprises UK Ltd |
26/05/2005 |
Embassy House 60 Church Street Birmingham B3 2DJ |
| Beers & Spirits Ltd |
21/06/2004 | Tudor
House Loughborough |
| Bouncy Castle R Us Ltd |
20/11/2005 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Cafe Fez Limited |
18/10/2004 | 98 Fetter Lane London E1 8EU |
| Caffe-Ice Ltd |
09/11/2005 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Car Insurance Brokers Ltd |
24/02/2006 | 70 Elite House Warwick Street Birmingham B12 0NL |
|
Caribbean Takeaway Limited |
23/02/2005 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Cash & Carry UK Ltd |
14/02/2006 | Southwick Business Centre Riverside Road Sunderland SR5 3JG |
| Central Heating UK Ltd |
14/02/2006 | 528 Halifax Road Bradford West Yorks BD6 2LP |
| Citi Marketing Ltd | 12/09/2005 | 326B Holyhead Road Coventry West Midlands CV5 8LH |
| Cyber Perc Ltd |
10/03/2004 | Tudor House Loughborough
|
|
D A C Wholesale Ltd |
25/03/2004 | Old Anglo House Mitton Street Stourport on Severn Worcestershire DY13 9AQ |
| Darson Computing Ltd |
14/02/2006 | Unit B7 Halesfield Telford Shropshire TF7 4QN |
| Dreaded Blue Screen Ltd |
26/02/2004 | Unit 1 Hindlip Lane Hindlip Worcestershire WR3 8SA |
| Emplex Logistics Ltd |
14/02/2006 | 33 Repton Road Birmingham B9 5UJ |
| Equussage Ltd |
03/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Event Arrangements Ltd |
10/05/2005 | Tudor House Loughborough
|
|
Extinguishers Direct Ltd |
08/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| F. Chorlton Limited |
13/04/2006 | Unit 6 10 High Road Lane Head Willenhall West Midlands WV12 4JQ |
|
F.Y.....Wardrobe! Ltd |
31/01/2009 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Family Play Centres Ltd |
02/12/2005 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Flatpack Assemblers Ltd |
06/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Flipdown Ltd |
31/03/2004 | Unit 2 6-8 Outram Street Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire NG17 4AX |
| Forest View Therapies Ltd |
22/11/2005 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| GB Civil Engineers Ltd |
03/08/2004 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Gadgets & Accessories Ltd | 06/04/2006 |
1150-1154 Pershore Road Stirchley Birmingham B30 2YG |
| Garden Gurus Ltd | 01/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Gas Appliances Ltd |
24/02/2006 | Tudor House Loughborough
|
|
Gasplus Energy Services Ltd |
25/01/2005 | 1301 Stratford Road Hall Green Birmingham B28 9HH |
| General Trade International Ltd | 15/02/2006 | Unit 18 Stechford Trading Estate Lyndon Road Stechford Birmingham B33 8BU |
| General Wholesalers Ltd |
20/05/2005 | 93-95 William Street Coventry West Midlands CV1 5NQ |
| Gold Finance Ltd | 20/06/2007 | Unit
13B Bentail Business Park |
|
Grocers Ltd | 21/06/2004 | Unit 12 Amspray Buildings Worcester Road Kidderminster Worcs DY10 1HY |
|
Halogen Solutions Ltd |
11/01/2006 | 186
Kensal Road |
| Hindsight4sport Ltd |
19/01/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Horley Logistics Ltd |
14/02/2006 | 9 Morcom Road Birmingham B11 2JE |
| Ideal School Of Motoring Ltd | 28/10/2004 |
1529A-1531A Pershore Road Stirchley Birmingham B30 2JH |
|
Imports Direct Ltd |
28/10/2004 | Unit 8 Joiners Square Ind Estate Hampton Street Stoke on Trent Staffs ST1 3EX |
|
Imrec Ltd | 21/07/2006 | 90 Carsic Road Sutton In Ashfield Nottinghamshire NG17 2BG |
|
Invertor Ltd | 18/07/2006 | 2 / 2
Erskine Street |
| Jaguar Dealer Support Ltd |
10/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Land Rover Dealer Support Ltd | 10/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Landfill Solutions Ltd |
20/02/2006 | 162 Causeway Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8LJ |
| Leading Textiles Ltd |
13/04/2006 | Landchard House Victoria Street West Bromwich West Midlands B70 8ER |
| Liquid Red Ltd | 06/11/2002 | 1 st Floor 117 Houndsditch London EC3A 7BT |
 LinksRegistered OfficeWIRED GOV LTD 1st Floor Hilton House,Lord Street, Stockport, SK1 3NA, United Kingdom www.wired-gov.net Registered in England and Wales No. 04667736 |
