BELLS MOTOR GROUP LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-11-20 (in 6mo)
Last made up 2025-11-06
Watchouts
Cash
£941K
-23.7% lowest in 4 filed years
Net assets
£18M
+4.4% highest in 4 filed years
Employees
120
+10.1% highest in 4 filed years
Profit before tax
£1M
-30.9% vs 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
1 PSC ceased in last 24 months
Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- BELLS MOTOR GROUP LIMITED 1988-10-11 → present
- BELLS MOTORS LIMITED 1988-08-24 → 1988-10-11
- FORUM WINES LIMITED 1988-03-24 → 1988-08-24
Net assets
5-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
5-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2018-12-31 | 2019-12-31 | 2020-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | £79,016,003 | £65,722,954 | £95,927,844 | £96,340,379 | |
| Operating profit | — | £1,145,329 | £1,625,376 | £2,247,348 | £1,687,478 | |
| Profit before tax | — | £1,006,911 | £1,474,239 | £1,940,067 | £1,339,868 | |
| Net profit | — | £834,223 | £1,194,134 | £1,528,460 | £1,063,596 | |
| Cash | — | £1,399,870 | £3,283,997 | £1,233,273 | £941,231 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | £12,527,028 | £13,306,953 | £18,086,992 | £19,922,852 | |
| Net assets | — | £11,087,524 | £12,047,108 | £17,313,586 | £18,083,182 | |
| Equity | £10,488,551 | £11,087,524 | £12,047,108 | £17,313,586 | £18,083,182 | |
| Average employees | — | 113 | 104 | 109 | 120 | |
| Wages | — | £3,253,816 | £3,131,829 | £3,839,526 | £4,364,884 |
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 | 2018-12-31 | 2019-12-31 | 2020-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | 1.4% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.8% | |
| Net margin | — | 1.1% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.1% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | 9.1% | 12.2% | 12.4% | 8.5% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | 1.42x | 1.76x | |
| Interest cover | — | 8.27x | 10.75x | 7.31x | 4.85x |
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
- Sumer Auditco Limited
- 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. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”
Group structure
- BELLS MOTOR GROUP LIMITED · parent
- Lorrimar Limited 100%
- Lorrimar Management Limited 100%
Significant events
- “In August 2024 Bells acquired property in Barkers Lane Bedford to support the growing Bedford Operation. Planning has been and still is a challenge due to the change of use, a further planning application will be submitted in the coming months. A further Unit at Osyth Close Brackmills is currently being purchased to increase vehicle preparation capacity at Northampton, this purchase will be completed in June 2025.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
6 active · 1 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BELL, Clive Allen | Secretary | 1998-02-18 | — | British |
| BELL, Clive Allen | Director | 2002-11-01 | Sep 1977 | British |
| BELL, Keith Dennis | Director | — | Feb 1950 | British |
| BELL, Virginia | Director | — | Mar 1953 | British |
| EALES, Emma Louise | Director | 2002-11-01 | Apr 1975 | British |
| WILLIAMS, Katherine Victoria | Director | 2019-01-02 | Mar 1982 | British |
Show 1 resigned officer
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLEARY, Christopher Denis | Secretary | — | 1998-02-18 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Clive Allen Bell | Individual | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50%, Appoints directors | 2024-10-21 | Active |
| Mrs Emma Louise Eales | Individual | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50% | 2024-10-21 | Active |
| Mr Clive Allen Bell | Individual | Significant influence | 2016-07-01 | Ceased 2016-07-01 |
| Mr Keith Dennis Bell | Individual | Shares 50–75%, Voting 50–75%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2024-10-21 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 156 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-12 | PSC04 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2025-11-11 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-06-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-01-24 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-11-06 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-11-06 | PSC01 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-11-06 | PSC01 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-11-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-08-20 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-01-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-09-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-01-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-09-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-02-02 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2022-02-02 | PSC01 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2022-01-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-09-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-04-28 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2021-04-07 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2021-04-07 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- 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.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
+0.4%
£95,927,844 £96,340,379
-
Cash
-23.7%
£1,233,273 £941,231
lowest in 4 filed years
-
Net assets
+4.4%
£17,313,586 £18,083,182
highest in 4 filed years
-
Employees
+10.1%
109 120
highest in 4 filed years
-
Operating profit
-24.9%
£2,247,348 £1,687,478
-
Profit before tax
-30.9%
£1,940,067 £1,339,868
-
Wages
+13.7%
£3,839,526 £4,364,884
highest in 4 filed years
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