Pub letting firm faces 'strike off'

Companies House records show a proposal to strike off Kingsley Knight, the pub

letting firm set up

by pub operating company Provence.

Bury-based Kingsley Knight was set up last November by Provence - the pub company founded by Paul J Kiely - and was run by former employee Paul Ashworth. It was given a group of 20 pubs to let on behalf of Provence at the start of 2006.

Provence explained in its annual accounts that Kingsley Knight was one of three companies it had set up to help manage its estate. Kingsley Knight would be undertaking credit checks and business plan appraisals on all incoming tenants.

However, a few months ago Provence decided that it would no longer recruit tenants for its pubs, preferring to run all its venues on a managed basis.

Companies House records show Kingsley Knight has not filed an annual return.

A second company mentioned by Provence in its annual accounts, Do It Right, a property maintenance firm, is eight months overdue on its accounts, according to Companies House records.