Stepbranch Limited enters creditors' voluntary liquidation with PwC appointed
Stepbranch Limited passed a creditors' voluntary liquidation resolution on 12 May 2026, with PricewaterhouseCoopers joint liquidators appointed the same day. Full notice and Companies House record.
Information for general guidance, drawn from the public record. Not legal, financial, or insolvency advice. If you are affected by an insolvency, consult a licensed practitioner or qualified solicitor.
Members of Stepbranch Limited resolved on 12 May 2026 that the company cannot continue by reason of its liabilities. They passed a special resolution to wind it up voluntarily through a creditors' voluntary liquidation, a process in which an insolvent company's members vote to wind it up without a court order and a liquidator is appointed to realise assets and distribute proceeds to creditors.
Victoria Hatton and Mark James Tobias Banfield of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP were appointed joint liquidators at the same general meeting. Hatton, who holds IP number 28170, is based at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's Leeds office at 29 Wellington Street. Banfield, IP number 23350, operates from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP at 7 More London Riverside in London. Either joint liquidator may act independently under the terms of the appointment.
The company
Stepbranch Limited is registered under SIC code 74990, covering other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified. Its most recent filed accounts, made up to 30 September 2024, were submitted as dormant accounts, indicating no significant trading activity in that period. The registered address given in the Gazette notice is The Bailey, 16 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7EG.
The company was incorporated on 16 May 2002 and has carried a succession of directors over more than two decades.
The directors
At the time of the resolution, Stepbranch Limited had two current directors. Hideyuki Nagahiro, who resides in England, has held the role since 14 March 2024 and signed the Gazette notice as director. Masashi Sada, resident in the United Kingdom, was appointed on 15 July 2025.
Robert Charles England served as a director from 17 December 2021 until his resignation on 27 October 2025. Hiroyasu Matsui held a directorship from 15 October 2018 until 15 July 2025. Jonathan Paul Scott served from 10 February 2010 until 18 October 2021. Aaron Campbell acted as company secretary from 24 February 2009 until 3 August 2020.
No secured charges are registered against the company.
Contact
Creditors and other parties seeking further details can contact PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on 0113 289 4046 or by email at uk_ncpcvls@pwc.com.
Common questions
Are you owed money by Stepbranch Limited?
In a creditors' voluntary liquidation you are an unsecured creditor unless you hold a registered charge or retention of title. The liquidators will write to known creditors with a proof-of-debt form. A statement of affairs prepared by the directors and the chair of the creditors' decision procedure should be available on request. Read more about proof of debt and where you sit in the creditor hierarchy.
Did you work at Stepbranch Limited?
In a CVL, employees are typically dismissed at or shortly after the liquidator's appointment. Wages owed up to a statutory cap, holiday pay, notice pay and redundancy may be claimable from the Redundancy Payments Service. The liquidators will normally provide RP1 case-reference numbers to the affected staff. See gov.uk: your rights if your employer is insolvent.
Do you hold a deposit, gift card or undelivered order from Stepbranch Limited?
Customers with paid-but-undelivered orders, gift cards or deposits rank as unsecured creditors in the liquidation. Where you paid by credit card and the amount was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may let you claim from the card issuer for breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier; the rules apply per item, not per transaction, and the card must be a regulated credit card. Debit-card payments may be recoverable via chargeback.
Are you a director of a company connected to Stepbranch Limited?
Section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 applies the moment the company enters liquidation. If you intend to be involved in another company using the same or a similar name within five years, you must rely on one of the three statutory exceptions and file the relevant notice. Acting in breach is a criminal offence and exposes you to personal liability for the successor's debts.
Sources
- The London Gazette notice (code Resolutions for Winding-up)
- Companies House record 04440323
- Editorial standards: how we source and review; five-pass pipeline.
