AUTO CLEANSE LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 84). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Refinance opportunity
8 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 41.3y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 41.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (72/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsFinancials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-10-31 |
|---|
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 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
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 2 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 2 mortgage
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-07-23📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2026-06-23📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-06-23📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-06-23🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2026-06-23🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2025-09-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-08📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-09-08📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-07-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-25➕KNOTT, Andrew Ian appointeddirector
- 2024-10-25📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-07-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2015-05-05🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2015-05-05🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2010-03-27🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2010-03-27🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2010-03-03🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
- 2009-05-29🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
- 2008-03-07🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2005-10-28🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
- 2004-11-05🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC
- 2002-07-16➕KNOTT, Mari Elizabeth appointeddirector
- 2002-06-26➖MURPHY, Brian resigneddirector
- 2000-10-25🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC
- 2000-09-25🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC
- 2000-02-11🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC
- 2000-01-14🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1985-03-27🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1984-12-19🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTO CLEANSE LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 84 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 84 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Keith Knott Individual · British · DOB 03/1942 · age 84 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mari Elizabeth Knott Individual · British · DOB 04/1947 · age 79 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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7 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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (4 active · 1 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 03/03/2010 | 23/06/2026 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 29/05/2009 | 23/06/2026 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 28/10/2005 | 07/03/2008 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Yorkshire Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 05/11/2004 | 05/05/2015 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Yorkshire Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 25/10/2000 | 05/05/2015 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Yorkshire Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 25/09/2000 | 27/03/2010 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Yorkshire Bank PLC | Legal mortgage (own account) | 1 property | 11/02/2000 | 27/03/2010 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Single debenture | 1 property | 27/03/1985 | 14/01/2000 |