METRO SHIPPING LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-09-16 (in 4mo)
Last made up 2025-09-02
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£85M
+21% highest in 6 filed years
Net assets
£93M
+20.3% highest in 6 filed years
Employees
189
-2.6% vs 2023
Profit before tax
£21M
-27.4% vs 2023
Net assets
9-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
9-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2018-04-01 | 2019-03-31 | 2019-04-01 | 2020-06-30 | 2021-12-31 | 2022-12-31 | 2023-01-01 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | £128,311,899 | — | £146,543,523 | — | — | — | £163,454,564 | £169,736,250 | |
| Operating profit | — | £11,231,706 | — | £15,301,208 | — | — | — | £25,305,354 | £16,932,711 | |
| Profit before tax | — | £11,316,120 | — | £15,462,746 | £25,373,302 | £37,124,466 | — | £28,732,284 | £20,864,062 | |
| Net profit | — | £9,151,866 | — | £12,502,439 | — | £30,194,595 | — | £21,926,177 | £15,603,074 | |
| Cash | — | £16,755,981 | — | £20,624,747 | £27,970,733 | £73,968,970 | — | £70,466,381 | £85,278,494 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | £17,868,270 | — | £24,370,709 | £44,907,062 | £75,125,238 | — | £77,047,170 | £92,630,908 | |
| Net assets | — | £17,868,270 | — | £24,370,709 | £44,907,062 | £75,101,657 | — | £77,027,834 | £92,630,908 | |
| Equity | £8,716,404 | £17,868,270 | £17,868,270 | £24,370,709 | £44,907,062 | £75,101,657 | £75,101,657 | £77,027,834 | £92,630,908 | |
| Average employees | — | 154 | — | 144 | 173 | 201 | — | 194 | 189 | |
| Wages | — | £4,835,056 | — | £7,105,742 | £10,770,637 | £13,797,109 | — | £10,449,156 | £11,453,720 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2018-04-01 | 2019-03-31 | 2019-04-01 | 2020-06-30 | 2021-12-31 | 2022-12-31 | 2023-01-01 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | 8.8% | — | 10.4% | — | — | — | 15.5% | 10.0% | |
| Net margin | — | 7.1% | — | 8.5% | — | — | — | 13.4% | 9.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | 62.9% | — | 62.8% | — | — | — | 32.8% | 18.3% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.62x | 6.09x | |
| Interest cover | — | 474.17x | — | 440.02x | — | — | — | 16305.00x | 2540.16x |
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
- MHA
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.”
Significant events
- “There have been no significant events affecting the Company since the year end.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 7 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROOKS, Nicholas Kevin | Secretary | 2019-07-31 | — | — |
| BURFORD, Laurence James | Director | 2025-10-22 | Oct 1987 | British |
| LIDDELL, Grant Anthony | Director | 2021-12-14 | Sep 1968 | British |
| LIDDELL, Iain Robert | Director | 2010-10-22 | Jun 1963 | British |
| SMITH, Andrew Phillip | Director | 2023-01-03 | Aug 1981 | British |
Show 7 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHILLIPS, Anthony Keith | Secretary | — | 2010-10-22 |
| TUCK, Barry | Secretary | 2010-10-22 | 2019-07-31 |
| CARLILE, Paul | Director | — | 2023-03-31 |
| KAPLAN, Arnold Mark | Director | — | 2010-10-22 |
| LAKE, Kevin | Director | 2010-11-08 | 2023-01-03 |
| PHILLIPS, Anthony Keith | Director | — | 2010-10-22 |
| WHITE, Andrew | Director | 2010-11-08 | 2025-10-22 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Global Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2024-11-15 | Active |
| Mr Iain Robert Liddell | Individual | Appoints directors | 2023-05-02 | Active |
| Mr Paul Carlile | Individual | Shares 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2023-05-02 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 114 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-10-22 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-22 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-09-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-11-15 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-10-15 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-09-03 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-12-22 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-09-05 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-05-03 | PSC01 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2023-05-03 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2023-03-31 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-01-03 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-01-03 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-09-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-09-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-12-22 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2021-12-21 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company current extended | |
| 2021-09-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-07-01 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 1
- Officers resigned
- 1
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.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
+3.8%
£163,454,564 £169,736,250
highest in 4 filed years
-
Cash
+21%
£70,466,381 £85,278,494
highest in 6 filed years
-
Net assets
+20.3%
£77,027,834 £92,630,908
highest in 6 filed years
-
Employees
-2.6%
194 189
-
Operating profit
-33.1%
£25,305,354 £16,932,711
-
Profit before tax
-27.4%
£28,732,284 £20,864,062
-
Wages
+9.6%
£10,449,156 £11,453,720
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers