Director disqualified over involvement in companies connected to Atherton scheme
A North Yorkshire director has been banned from acting as a company director for four years after failing to properly oversee two companies linked to the controversial Atherton corporate rescue scheme.
Suzanne Harley-Davies was a director of Namare GRP Ltd and TPG GRP Limited, two businesses associated with a structure which enabled company directors to walk away from corporate debts while avoiding formal insolvency procedures.
The Insolvency Service found that Harley-Davies failed to adequately manage the affairs of the companies or ensure they were operating for legitimate corporate purposes during 2023 and 2024.
Both companies were later wound up in the public interest in 2024 following investigations into their involvement with the Atherton scheme.
The scheme was marketed as a business rescue solution for financially distressed companies. Directors were encouraged to sell their businesses for £1 as an alternative to formal insolvency processes such as liquidation.
Under the arrangement, business owners reportedly paid fees ranging from £5,000 to £20,000 to transfer ownership of their companies to new directors, allowing them to exit without going through formal insolvency proceedings or facing the associated scrutiny and obligations.
Harley-Davies, 68, from North Yorkshire, maintained that she had no direct involvement in creating or operating the scheme itself. However, investigators concluded that she made only limited enquiries into the activities of the companies and failed to take sufficient steps to ensure they were acting appropriately.
During her time as director, Namare GRP Ltd became the registered owner and person of significant control of at least 171 companies connected to the scheme. TPG GRP Limited already controlled at least 58 companies when Harley-Davies joined as director.
Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services at the Insolvency Service, said:
“Improving director conduct is a key priority for the Insolvency Service and we are keen to help those who need support and want to do the right thing. However, there have to be consequences for those who deliberately neglect their duties to protect creditors and ensure a level playing field for businesses that follow the rules.
Suzanne Harley-Davies said that she had no involvement in the creation, promotion or operation of the scheme, but her failure to exercise her duties as a company director nonetheless allowed it to continue.
This case sends a clear message to anyone who agrees to take on a directorship: you cannot turn a blind eye to what your companies are doing. Accepting a role brings with it real responsibilities, and we will act where those responsibilities are ignored.”
The case forms part of a wider series of enforcement actions connected to the Atherton scheme.
Harley-Davies’ co-director, Neville Taylor, received a nine-year disqualification in January 2025 after investigations found he had failed to properly account for company assets worth more than £8 million across multiple distressed businesses.
In October 2025, sisters Karen Mortimer and Joanna Seawright were each banned for seven years after taking control of 138 companies linked to the same operation.
Several companies associated with the scheme, including Atherton Corporate UK (Ltd), Atherton Corporate Rescue Limited, Atherton Corporate Partners LLP, Jones & Harlington Ltd, TYA GRP Ltd and TYA Two GRP Ltd, have also been shut down following Insolvency Service action.
Harley-Davies’ disqualification came into effect on 6 May 2026 and prevents her from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without permission from the court.