Ebberns Limited Faces Winding-Up Petition
A winding-up petition has been presented against wholesale merchant Ebberns Limited in the High Court of Justice. According to public court records filed at the Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions, the filing was registered on 15 October 2026 under case reference CR-2026-007981.
The presentation of a winding-up petition represents the initial formal court filing by an applicant seeking a compulsory liquidation order. It does not represent a determination of insolvency, nor does it establish that an order will be made by the court. The petition may be settled, withdrawn, adjourned, or dismissed when it comes before an Insolvency and Companies Court judge.
Creditors and commercial counterparties can cross-reference the daily record via the today's cause list or inspect the company profile on Ebberns Limited on Corp Intel.
Petition details
The public filing contains the following registry entries recorded on the HM Courts & Tribunals Service CE-File system:
| Attribute | Record Details |
| :--- | :--- |
| Company Name | Ebberns Limited |
| Case Number | CR-2026-007981 |
| Filing Date | 15 October 2026 |
| Case Type | Companies - Petition - Winding Up Petition |
| Filing Court | Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions (High Court) |
| Petitioning Creditor | [Shown in the creditor report →](#offers-creditor) |
| Alleged Debt Value | [Check the creditor report →](#offers-creditor) |
| Hearing Date | [Check the creditor report →](#offers-creditor) |
The published records do not disclose the identity of the petitioning party or the sum claimed. Commercial parties tracking exposure should note that petitions in the High Court generally proceed toward an initial hearing within six to ten weeks of filing, subject to court scheduling and statutory notice periods.
Company snapshot
Public filings from Companies House show that Ebberns Limited has traded for over four decades:
- Company Number: 01961905
- Incorporation Date: 20 November 1985
- Company Status: Active
- Registered Office: Devonshire House, 582 Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex, United Kingdom, HA7 1JS
- Standard Industrial Classification (SIC): 46900 (Non-specialised wholesale trade)
- Financial Statements: [Check the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
Because recent balance-sheet figures, turnover, and net assets are not stated in the published source, counterparties must inspect recent statutory accounts directly to evaluate the asset base and capital structure.
Directors and ownership
Companies House register records identify the officers and control structure of Ebberns Limited. The company currently has one active director on the register:
- Mr Ian David Johnson, director, appointed on 26 March 2019. Born May 1965. Australian nationality, resident in England.
Historical filings record several former officers whose appointments have terminated:
- Mr Anthony Barber, director, appointed 19 December 2005, resigned 13 March 2023.
- Ms Lynn Watt, director and company secretary, appointed 19 December 2005, resigned 26 March 2019.
- Mr Christopher Edwin Garraway, director, appointment ceased 22 February 2006.
- Mrs Anne-Marie Garraway, company secretary, appointment ceased 19 December 2005.
According to the Register of Persons with Significant Control (PSC), corporate ownership rests with a holding entity:
- Ebberns Holdings Limited (company number 05656126), notified on 6 April 2016. The entity holds 75% to 100% of the company's shares, 75% to 100% of the voting rights, and holds the right to appoint and remove a majority of the board of directors.
These register entries reflect statutory administrative appointments and ownership tiers. Corporate law separates corporate liabilities from the personal affairs of directors.
Recent filings and Gazette activity
No formal insolvency notices, appointment notices, or winding-up advertisements have been registered for this case in The Gazette within the current observation window. Under the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, a petitioner is strictly prohibited from advertising the petition until at least seven business days have elapsed following formal service upon the company, unless the court orders otherwise.
This mandatory window permits a respondent company to discharge undisputed liabilities, seek a validation order, or apply for an injunction restraining advertisement if the underlying debt is disputed on genuine and substantial grounds.
What this means for suppliers, creditors and counterparties
The presentation of a petition creates immediate legal considerations under English insolvency law. Under Section 127 of the Insolvency Act 1986, any disposition of the company's property made after the date of presentation is void if a winding-up order is subsequently made, unless validated by court order.
Once clearing banks learn of a presented petition, they routinely freeze corporate bank accounts to protect themselves against restitution claims under Section 127. For suppliers and trade partners, continuing to supply goods on open-account credit introduces capital risk.
Counterparty exposure review framework
When a counterparty appears on the petition registry, finance directors and credit controllers should apply a structured four-stage evaluation:
1. Ledger audit: Identify all unpaid invoices, accrued commitments, orders in progress, and unbilled deliveries.
2. Retention of title (ROT) review: Examine terms of trade to confirm whether valid ROT clauses apply and check whether delivered goods remain identifiable and unmixed on site.
3. Payment protocol: Halt discretionary credit lines and shift pending transactions to cleared funds in advance or pro-forma billing.
4. Registry monitoring: Conduct a regular winding up search or maintain automated ledger alerts to detect any hearing listings or advertisement notices.
Practical scenario: trade supplier exposure
Consider an industrial supplier holding £45,000 in outstanding invoices against a wholesale debtor facing a newly presented petition. If the supplier continues to make deliveries on standard 30-day terms, two risks emerge. First, the debtor's bank accounts may freeze, blocking payments for subsequent deliveries. Second, if a compulsory order follows, payments received after the petition date without a Section 127 validation order risk clawback by the Official Receiver or liquidator. A prudent supplier immediately pauses credit, requests pro-forma settlement for fresh shipments, and reviews the validity of its retention of title claim.
For credit teams and suppliers
Pre-credit checks and transaction due diligence regularly depend on early court data. Relying solely on Gazette notices or Companies House updates often leaves trade creditors weeks behind, as formal notices appear only after petitions are served and advertised. Performing a prompt winding up petition search enables legal and credit professionals to mitigate bad-debt exposure before assets freeze.
Traditional due diligence involves manual cause-list checks, phone calls to the registry, or periodic Companies House downloads. Deploying continuous alerts through free company monitoring delivers automated, auditable notification when petitions or Gazette entries are lodged against customer ledgers.
How to investigate further
Stakeholders reviewing trading arrangements with Ebberns Limited should cross-check source registries:
- Review the official public registry records at Companies House to assess filing history and mortgage registers.
- Monitor The Gazette for statutory advertisements or meeting notices.
- Check CE-File cause records at the Royal Courts of Justice regarding hearing listings for case CR-2026-007981.
To conduct due diligence across other trading entities or group subsidiaries, credit professionals can carry out a dedicated winding up search across the Central Registry database.
FAQ
Does presenting a winding-up petition mean Ebberns Limited is insolvent?
No. Presentation of a petition is the lodging of an application by a creditor asserting an unsatisfied debt. It is not a judicial finding of insolvency. The matter must be heard by the court, where the company may dispute the debt, settle the claim, or demonstrate solvency.
Why does the public court record not state the petition debt?
Initial CE-File records maintained by the court show case administrative identifiers, such as the filing date, party names, and case number. Specific financial claims and witness statements remain private court documents unless made public during open proceedings or published in statutory notices.
What happens if the petition is advertised in The Gazette?
Under the Insolvency Rules, advertisement signals that the seven-day post-service window has passed without an injunction or dismissal. Once advertised, third-party creditors may give notice to support or oppose the petition, and financial institutions generally restrict bank account operations immediately.
Can a presented winding-up petition be withdrawn before a hearing?
Yes. If the underlying claim is settled or shown to be subject to a genuine dispute, the petitioner can apply to the court for permission to withdraw the petition. Once advertised, however, withdrawal requires court leave because other creditors may seek to take carriage of the petition.
Disclaimer
This report summarises a petition recorded at the Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions. Presentation of a petition is not a determination of insolvency; the outcome is a matter for the court. Companies believing they are named incorrectly should email contact@corp-intel.co.uk.