HomeCompanies in LiquidationHouston Thornton & Co Limited

Is Houston Thornton & Co Limited in compulsory liquidation?

Last verified 27 May 2026
In Compulsory LiquidationYes, Houston Thornton & Co Limited (company number NI604220) entered compulsory liquidation on 15 December 2016, by order of the court. Ken Pattullo of null was appointed as liquidator.

Do you deal with companies like Houston Thornton & Co Limited? Add up to 5 companies free. We'll email you the day one enters administration.

Free, no card. We'll send a one-click sign-in link, no password to remember.

Prefer the earlier signs? Protect catches the pattern that builds, well before it's official. See how it works →

Houston Thornton & Co Limited is now in compulsory liquidation. Below are the key dates, the directors, the public-record timeline that led here, and what the liquidation means if you are a creditor, employee, customer or supplier.

Company at a glance

StatusIn Compulsory Liquidation
Company numberNI604220
Incorporated26 August 2010 (16 years old)
Registered office70a Doagh Road, Newtownabbey, Antrim, BT37 9NY
Nature of business (SIC)43220: Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation (Construction)
Date entered compulsory liquidation15 December 2016
LiquidatorKen Pattullo, null (licensed insolvency practitioner)
Public registerView filing history ↗

About the business

Houston Thornton & Co Limited is a construction business based in Newtownabbey, incorporated in 2010 and 6 years old when the liquidator was appointed. Its registered activity is plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation (SIC 43220). There have been 7 director appointments since incorporation, of which 2 were on the board when the liquidator was appointed.

Directors

7 people have been appointed as directors of Houston Thornton & Co Limited.

DirectorStatusResigned
Rodney LilburnActive
Geoffrey Kenneth HoustonActive
Derek HoustonResigned3 Feb 2016
Dennis George StoreyResigned1 Oct 2014
Gary Howard MartinResigned31 Jul 2014
Geoffrey Kenneth HoustonResigned31 Mar 2013
Geoffrey Kenneth HoustonResigned27 Oct 2010

A director resignation shortly before an insolvency is a matter of public record; it does not by itself imply wrongdoing.

What happened

EventDateType
Appointment of liquidator compulsory8 June 20264.32(NI)
Appointment of liquidator compulsory23 November 20194.32(NI)
Order of court to wind up21 December 2016COCOMP
Compulsory liquidationStatus15 December 2016
Compulsory strike-off action has been suspended9 September 2016DISS16(SOAS)
24 earlier events · 2010 to 2016
First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off30 August 2016GAZ1
Termination of appointment as a director15 February 2016TM01
Previous accounting period extended30 November 2015AA01
Appointment as a director27 November 2015AP01
Annual return made up with full list of shareholders6 November 2015AR01
Full accounts made up22 January 2015AA
Termination of appointment as a director8 October 2014TM01
Termination of appointment as a director11 September 2014TM01
Annual return made up with full list of shareholders11 September 2014AR01
Full accounts made up17 December 2013AA
Annual return made up with full list of shareholders24 September 2013AR01
Termination of appointment as a director19 April 2013TM01
Full accounts made up14 December 2012AA
Annual return made up with full list of shareholders5 September 2012AR01
Full accounts made up4 January 2012AA
Annual return made up with full list of shareholders22 September 2011AR01
Previous accounting period shortened5 April 2011AA01
Resolutions3 December 2010RESOLUTIONS
Statement of capital following an allotment of shares3 December 2010SH01
Appointment as a director4 November 2010AP01
Resolutions2 November 2010RESOLUTIONS
Termination of appointment as a director2 November 2010TM01
Appointment as a director4 October 2010AP01
Appointment as a director4 October 2010AP01
Incorporation26 August 2010NEWINC

What this means for you

If you are a creditor

Submit your proof of debt to the liquidator. Once liquidation begins, no creditor can start or continue legal action without the court's permission. Unsecured creditors rank after secured and preferential creditors and are usually paid last, often only a portion.

Owed money by a company in liquidation

If you are an employee

Employees are preferential creditors for certain unpaid wages and holiday pay, and may be able to claim from the Redundancy Payments Service if roles are made redundant.

Employee rights and redundancy pay

If you are a customer

Deposits paid are usually unsecured claims. Contracts may be terminated by the liquidator. Contact the liquidator about outstanding work or refunds.

What customers can recover

If you are a supplier

Goods supplied before the liquidation began are an unsecured claim. Check whether any retention-of-title clause lets you identify and recover specific goods.

How retention of title works

Don't be the last to know next time

Most suppliers only find out a customer has failed once it is announced. By then it is too late. Protect monitors every company you sell to and emails you as the warning signs build, well before it becomes official. We can't stop a customer failing, but you'll never be the last to know, and you'll know you did all you could.

See how Protect works, £24/mo →

Other construction companies in compulsory liquidation

All UK companies in compulsory liquidation

Related guides

What is a validation order?The order debts are paidWarning signs in your other customersWhat the filings mean

The bigger picture

The state of UK insolvency

Frequently asked questions

Is Houston Thornton & Co Limited in compulsory liquidation?
Yes. Houston Thornton & Co Limited (company number NI604220) entered compulsory liquidation on 15 December 2016, by order of the court. Ken Pattullo of null was appointed as liquidator.
Who is the liquidator of Houston Thornton & Co Limited?
Ken Pattullo, a licensed insolvency practitioner at null, was appointed liquidator of Houston Thornton & Co Limited on 15 December 2016. Creditors can contact the liquidator directly to submit a claim.
What does Houston Thornton & Co Limited do?
Houston Thornton & Co Limited's registered nature of business is plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation (SIC 43220). It is classified in the construction sector.
Where is Houston Thornton & Co Limited based?
Houston Thornton & Co Limited's registered office is 70a Doagh Road, Newtownabbey, Antrim, BT37 9NY. The registered office is the address held on the public register, which is not always the trading address.
When was Houston Thornton & Co Limited founded?
Houston Thornton & Co Limited was incorporated on 26 August 2010, 6 years before the liquidator was appointed.
What is Houston Thornton & Co Limited's company number?
Houston Thornton & Co Limited's registered company number is NI604220.
What does liquidation mean for creditors of Houston Thornton & Co Limited?
Liquidation is the formal wind-up of a company. Once it begins, the liquidator collects assets, settles claims in statutory order (secured, preferential, then unsecured) and distributes whatever remains. Unsecured creditors often recover only a portion of what they are owed, and sometimes nothing.
How long does liquidation take?
Most liquidations run for 12 to 24 months, longer where the company has complex assets, litigation, or ongoing trading. Annual progress reports are filed by the liquidator until the company is dissolved at the end of the process.
Will creditors get paid in Houston Thornton & Co Limited's liquidation?
Secured creditors are paid from the assets they hold a charge over. Preferential creditors (employee wages up to limits, pension contributions, HMRC for certain taxes) come next. Unsecured creditors share whatever remains, which may be nothing. The Statement of Affairs, when filed, sets out the liquidator's estimate at the point of appointment.

Report an error on this page·Not financial, credit or legal advice.