METROLINE LONDON NORTHERN
⚰️Wound downdissolved
02328608 · private-unlimited · incorporated 1988-12-14
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
62/100
Worth a look
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 6021
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 62/100 (worth a look), bankability 62/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 73). Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 32.3y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 32.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: low (53/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
40 officers (3 active, 40 linked, 28 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
15 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
176 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
62/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Business quality
30
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
59
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
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 (107 events)Click to expand
- 2010-05-11📄gazette-dissolved-voluntarygazette · GAZ2(A)
- 2010-05-11🏁Company dissolved
- 2010-01-26📄gazette-notice-voluntarygazette · GAZ1(A)
- 2010-01-11📄dissolution-application-strike-off-companydissolution · DS01
- 2009-10-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2009-04-29📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2008-10-29📄accounts-with-made-up-dateaccounts · AA
- 2008-09-24📄legacyofficers · 288a
- 2008-09-24📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2008-05-02📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2007-10-31➕ROWBOTHAM, Damian appointedsecretary
- 2007-10-31➖DONNELLY, David Thomas resignedsecretary
- 2007-10-25📄accounts-with-made-up-dateaccounts · AA
- 2007-08-14✏️certificate-re-registration-limited-to-unlimitedchange-of-name · CERT3
- 2007-08-14📄legacyreregistration · 49(8)(a)
- 2007-08-14📄legacyreregistration · 49(8)(b)
- 2007-08-14📄legacyreregistration · 49(1)
- 2007-08-14📄re-registration-memorandum-articlesincorporation · MAR
- 2007-04-26📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2006-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2006-04-28📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2005-10-28📄legacyofficers · 288c
- 2005-10-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2005-07-04📄legacyofficers · 288a
- 2005-06-28📄legacyofficers · 288a
- 2005-06-28📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2005-06-28📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2005-06-28📄legacyofficers · 288b
- 2005-05-25➕DONNELLY, David Thomas appointedsecretary
- 2005-05-25➖ELLIS, Stephen James resignedsecretary
- 2005-05-25➖ELLIS, Stephen James resigneddirector
- 2005-05-11➕O'SHEA, Sean Poul appointeddirector
- 2005-05-11➖MCALEAVY, Stephen Anthony resigneddirector
- 2004-10-01➕SINGH, Jaspal appointeddirector
- 2003-12-31➖ALEXANDER, William Norman resignedsecretary
- 2003-12-31➕ELLIS, Stephen James appointedsecretary
- 2003-12-31➖ALEXANDER, William Norman resigneddirector
- 2003-08-01➕MCALEAVY, Stephen Anthony appointeddirector
- 2003-07-31➖MOFFATT, Keith Anthony resigneddirector
- 2003-07-31➖O'FARRELL, Declan Gerard resigneddirector
- 2002-08-06🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2001-04-30➕ELLIS, Stephen James appointeddirector
- 2001-04-30➕MOFFATT, Keith Anthony appointeddirector
- 2001-04-27➖TENNANT, Gordon resigneddirector
- 2000-07-21➕ALEXANDER, William Norman appointedsecretary
- 2000-07-21➖HAYES, Duncan Maclean resignedsecretary
- 2000-06-30➖COLLEDGE, John resigneddirector
- 1999-09-01➕ALEXANDER, William Norman appointeddirector
- 1999-04-02➖KING, Anne resigneddirector
- 1999-02-23🔓Charge satisfied #5
Showing most recent 50 of 107 events
Owner dependency
83/100
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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
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 73 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 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 37 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 high · 1 med ·Company dissolved
highCompany has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2010-05-11
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
🔒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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12TELECOM LIMITED→ 16382442 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 14 FLORENCE ROAD FILMS LTD→ 16866706 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 STATES LTD→ 16449292 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2WAY MESSAGE LTD→ 12536183 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 31HZ LTD→ 15319390 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 380 INFRASTRUCTURE LTD→ 15839020 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 4PLAY LTD→ 12492819 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 7 SCREEN LIMITED→ 15189013 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 7ARCH LTD→ 15175722 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 7M E.START LTD→ 11923235 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| 888 SYSTEMS LIMITED→ 04066741 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| 88DIT LTD→ 16319665 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Statusdissolved
Typeprivate-unlimited
Incorporated1988-12-14
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC6021 — SIC 6021
Registered office
Hygeia
66-68 College Road
Harrow
Middlesex
HA1 1BE
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2008-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —
Officers (0 active · 37 resigned)
Active
O'SHEA, Sean Poul→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2005-05-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SINGH, Jaspal→
Activedirector · ~73y · appointed 2004-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ALEXANDER, William Norman→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-07-21 · resigned 2003-12-31
CAMPBELL, Iain Fraser→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-08-29 · resigned 1997-06-15
CAMPBELL, Iain Fraser→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-03-16 · resigned 1996-02-01
COLLEDGE, John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1998-08-17 · resigned 1999-01-11
DONNELLY, David Thomas→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-05-25 · resigned 2007-10-31
ELLIS, Stephen James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-12-31 · resigned 2005-05-25
HAYES, Duncan Maclean→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1999-01-11 · resigned 2000-07-21
JORDAN, Peter Leslie→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1994-10-26
MILLINGTON, Ronald Gordon→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-10-26 · resigned 1996-06-20
O'SHEA, Brian→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-02-01 · resigned 1997-06-15
WOODWARD, Deborah Anne→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-06-15 · resigned 1998-08-17
ALEXANDER, William Norman→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 1999-09-01 · resigned 2003-12-31
ARROL, William Provan→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 1994-03-22
BENNETT, Edward Vine→
Resigneddirector · ~96y · appointed 1994-10-07 · resigned 1994-10-26
BRADY, Dominic→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 1994-10-31 · resigned 1997-11-18
CAMPBELL, Iain Fraser→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 1994-10-31 · resigned 1997-06-15
CLUBB, Colin Edward→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · resigned 1993-03-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
6
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 06/08/2002 | — | |
| satisfied | First National Bank of Boston | Supplemental debenture | 1 property | 07/02/1997 | 23/02/1999 | |
| satisfied | The First National Bank of Boston as Agent and Trustee for the Beneficiaries | Guarantee and debenture | 1 property | 03/07/1996 | 23/02/1999 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Supplemental deed to guarantee and debenture | 1 property | 26/10/1994 | 20/07/1996 | |
| outstanding | London Regional Transport (And Its Successors in Title and Assigns) | Fixed charge | 1 property | 04/02/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | London Regional Transport (And Its Successors in Title and Assigns) | Fixed charge | 1 property | 04/02/1994 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (176 total)
gazette-dissolved-voluntary
gazette · GAZ2(A)
2010-05-11
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2010-01-26
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2010-01-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2009-10-12
legacy
annual-return · 363a
2009-04-29
accounts-with-made-up-date
accounts · AA
2008-10-29
legacy
officers · 288a
2008-09-24
legacy
officers · 288b
2008-09-24
legacy
annual-return · 363a
2008-05-02
accounts-with-made-up-date
accounts · AA
2007-10-25
certificate-re-registration-limited-to-unlimited
change-of-name · CERT3
2007-08-14
legacy
reregistration · 49(8)(a)
2007-08-14
legacy
reregistration · 49(8)(b)
2007-08-14
legacy
reregistration · 49(1)
2007-08-14
re-registration-memorandum-articles
incorporation · MAR
2007-08-14