R. THORNTON & CO. LTD.
Get an alert when R. THORNTON & CO. LTD. files next
Leroy will email you the moment a new filing lands at Companies House — one short note per filing, nothing else.
Cash
—
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
-£693K
-239.7% lowest in 6 filed years
Employees
50
-2% vs 2024
Profit before tax
-£645K
+6.8% vs 2024
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Material uncertainty over going concern
However the Directors acknowledge that a material uncertainty that may cast doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern remains.
-
Going-concern uncertainty disclosed
-
Negative shareholders' funds
Net assets
6-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
6-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-05-31
| Metric | Trend | 2020-05-31 | 2021-05-31 | 2022-05-31 | 2023-05-31 | 2024-05-31 | 2025-05-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | — | — | £8,841,361 | £7,235,175 | £7,489,112 | +3.5% | |
| Operating profit | — | — | — | -£470,489 | -£506,518 | -£410,618 | +18.9% | |
| Profit before tax | — | — | — | -£629,501 | -£692,692 | -£645,440 | +6.8% | |
| Net profit | — | — | — | -£525,422 | -£692,692 | -£489,294 | +29.4% | |
| Cash | £78,431 | £198,681 | £202,010 | — | — | — | — | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £1,553,747 | £2,012,863 | £1,768,709 | £1,612,534 | £1,298,445 | £233,411 | -82% | |
| Net assets | £773,290 | £690,323 | £674,711 | £488,593 | -£204,099 | -£693,393 | -239.7% | |
| Equity | £773,290 | £690,323 | £773,684 | £488,593 | -£204,099 | -£693,393 | -239.7% | |
| Average employees | 47 | 43 | 43 | 55 | 51 | 50 | -2% | |
| Wages | — | — | — | £1,763,756 | £1,662,617 | £1,722,330 | +3.6% | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — | — | £0 | £0 | £34,667 | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2020-05-31 | 2021-05-31 | 2022-05-31 | 2023-05-31 | 2024-05-31 | 2025-05-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | — | — | -5.3% | -7.0% | -5.5% | |
| Net margin | — | — | — | -5.9% | -9.6% | -6.5% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | — | -29.2% | -39.0% | -175.9% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | — | — | — | 104.1% | 115.7% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | 0.54x | 0.53x | 0.43x | |
| Interest cover | — | — | — | -2.96x | -2.70x | -1.73x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Robson Laidler Accountants Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Material uncertainty disclosed
“However the Directors acknowledge that a material uncertainty that may cast doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern remains.”
Group structure
- R. THORNTON & CO. LTD. · parent
- Emmex Freight Services Ltd 100%
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 12 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HICKEY, Jacqueline | Secretary | 2008-09-29 | — | British |
| HEADS, Nick | Director | 2019-10-28 | Sep 1967 | British |
| HICKEY, Thomas Anthony | Director | 2008-09-29 | Jul 1964 | British |
| THORNTON, Alan | Director | 2024-08-01 | Jul 1978 | British |
Show 12 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| THORNTON, Melvin | Secretary | 1992-09-07 | 2008-09-29 |
| CHETTLEBURGH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 1992-09-07 | 1992-09-07 |
| BERESFORD, Scott | Director | 2008-09-29 | 2019-10-28 |
| THORNTON, Gladys | Director | 1994-08-01 | 1999-06-12 |
| THORNTON, Ian | Director | 1994-08-01 | 2008-09-29 |
| THORNTON, John | Director | 1999-06-12 | 2000-10-01 |
| THORNTON, John | Director | 1994-08-01 | 1998-02-27 |
| THORNTON, Melvin | Director | 1992-09-07 | 2008-09-29 |
| THORNTON, Robert | Director | 1994-08-01 | 1999-06-12 |
| THORNTON, Robert | Director | 1994-04-05 | 2008-09-29 |
| THORNTON, Robert | Director | 1992-09-07 | 1999-06-12 |
| THORNTON, William | Director | 1994-08-01 | 2000-10-01 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M.J. Hickey Plant Hire & Contracts Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-06-01 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 134 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2026-06-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-05-30 | AD03 | address | Move registers to sail company with new address | |
| 2026-05-30 | AD02 | address | Change sail address company with new address | |
| 2026-05-22 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2026-05-22 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2025-06-13 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-06-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-10-22 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-07-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type small | |
| 2024-07-01 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2024-06-18 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2024-06-18 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2024-06-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-05-23 | MR05 | mortgage | Mortgage charge whole release with charge number | |
| 2024-04-30 | MR05 | mortgage | Mortgage charge whole release with charge number | |
| 2024-04-30 | MR05 | mortgage | Mortgage charge whole release with charge number | |
| 2023-10-11 | MR05 | mortgage | Mortgage charge whole release with charge number | |
| 2023-10-11 | MR05 | mortgage | Mortgage charge whole release with charge number | |
| 2023-06-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 6
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.