BELLS (GROUP SERVICES) LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01576533 · ltd · incorporated 1981-07-27
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 41.9y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Aug 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 52103
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 85). Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 41.9y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 41.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
95 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-08-31 | 2023-08-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 400 | 400 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
3 signals detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-06-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-13📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2020-01-13📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2020-01-10➕DIXON, Steven George appointedsecretary
- 2020-01-10➖THOMPSON, Kathleen resignedsecretary
- 2019-05-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-06-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-05-19📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-05-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-05-27📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-06-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-12-21➖RATH, Patrick George resigneddirector
- 2001-07-27🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 1999-02-08➕DIXON, Steven George appointeddirector
- 1999-02-08➖GREY, David Ian resignedsecretary
- 1999-02-08➕THOMPSON, Kathleen appointedsecretary
- 1999-02-08➖GREY, David Ian resigneddirector
- 1999-02-08➕RATH, Patrick George appointeddirector
- 1997-07-03🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1984-07-26🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1981-07-27🏢Company incorporatedAs BELLS (GROUP SERVICES) LIMITED
Owner dependency
91/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 27 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 85 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
91/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 85 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 27 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 45 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 high ·Confirmation statement overdue
highAnnual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-05-31
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Steven George Dixon Individual · British · DOB 08/1971 · age 55 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence · firm interest | 01/09/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Transport & logistics · NE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR ROBSON LOGISTICS LTD→ 16494861 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ARTHUR DELIVERS LTD→ 17035470 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUTOBEST MD LTD→ 13573674 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AVIANCE UK LIMITED→ 01036291 · est 1971 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 54y | — | — |
| BAKERBOYCOURIERS LTD→ 16711081 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BARRIE LOW LTD→ 16867912 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BENCHMARK 365 LTD→ 12547971 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| BEYHAN&MELIH LTD→ 13168645 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BG AVIATION CONSULTING LTD→ 13659522 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BILLIARDGVB LTD→ 12743416 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BILLY SHIEL FARNE ISLANDS BOATS LIMITED→ 08956849 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BLACK RAT LOGISTICS LTD→ 16786931 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
9 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1981-07-27
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC52103 — SIC 52103
Registered office
Bells Close Industrial Estate
Lemington
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tyne & Wear
NE15 6UF
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-31
Last made up to: 2024-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-31OVERDUE
Last: 2025-05-17
Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)
DIXON, Steven George→
Activesecretary · appointed 2020-01-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DIXON, Steven George→
Activedirector · ~55y · appointed 1999-02-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GREY, David Ian→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1999-02-08
THOMPSON, Kathleen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1999-02-08 · resigned 2020-01-10
GREY, David Ian→
Resigneddirector · ~85y · resigned 1999-02-08
RATH, Patrick George→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 1999-02-08 · resigned 2012-12-21
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 27/07/2001 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Debenture deed | 1 property | 03/07/1997 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 26/07/1984 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (95 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-05-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-06-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-05-26
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2020-01-13
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2020-01-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-06-10