A total of 11,500 UK companies have been struck off the Companies House register over the past year, following a major enforcement operation led by the National Economic Crime Centre and involving multiple government and law enforcement agencies.

The targeted companies failed to comply with Registered Office requirements under the Companies Act 2006. Many were linked to high‑risk incorporation addresses and suspected of being used for criminal activity, including money laundering, organised fraud, and other illicit conduct both in the UK and overseas.

Co-ordinated enforcement across the UK

The operation brought together the National Crime Agency, Companies House, HM Revenue & Customs, The Insolvency Service, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Home Office, UK police forces and other anti‑money laundering regulators.

Over two days classed as ‘intensification activity’, officers from the Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, and South Wales Police, alongside HMRC economic crime specialists, visited dozens of high‑risk business addresses. Eleven locations hosting 30 high‑risk trust and company service providers were inspected, uncovering no genuine trading activity and widespread breaches of Companies Act rules.

In one case, a single London address was registered as the base for between 4,000 and 5,000 companies, many of which were actually located elsewhere, including overseas.

Significant Sanctions and Criminal Referrals

The crackdown led to:

• Key individuals involved in mass company formation being barred from registering future companies.
• Three high‑risk trust and company service providers being shut down, with 27 more facing enforcement action.
• Criminal referrals to the Insolvency Service for further investigation.
• The identification of criminally‑acquired property now being considered for civil recovery actions.

Authorities describe the results as a major step in protecting the integrity of the UK’s corporate register and making it harder for criminals to exploit UK‑registered entities.

Officials warn on the scale of Economic Crime

Rachael Herbert, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre, emphasised that over £100 billion is laundered through and within the UK each year, much of it via corporate structures. She praised the joint effort, noting that ‘projects like this’ highlight the power of collaboration between law enforcement, regulators, and the private sector.

Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services at the Insolvency Service, called the removal of 11,500 companies ‘a significant step’ towards a more reliable business register, while confirming that investigations into companies linked to fraud remain ongoing.

Martin Swain, Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement Engagement at Companies House, acknowledged that while many third‑party agents act legitimately, some ‘wilfully abuse and exploit the system.’ He stressed that, since recent changes in legislation, Companies House is now taking a more active role in disrupting such activity.

A broader effort to protect UK business integrity

The coordinated strike‑offs form part of a wider government initiative to clamp down on the misuse of UK company registrations. Alongside police forces and regulatory partners, agencies are building on new intelligence‑sharing frameworks to identify suspicious patterns, monitor high‑risk service providers, and remove non‑compliant entities.

Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said, ‘money laundering is at the heart of organised crime, and decisive, joint action is essential to protect the country’s economy and the public’s trust in the corporate system.’