The film industry is reeling after a staggering 50 companies linked to producer Alan Latham were compulsorily struck off the UK's companies register, leaving dozens of workers and suppliers high and dry with unpaid fees totalling thousands of pounds. It's a scandal that has left many in the industry scratching their heads – how could so many firms, allegedly backed by one of the most prolific producers in the business, be allowed to flout the law for so long?
The compulsory strike-off process is like a red card in football – once you're sent packing, there's no way back. Companies House has pulled the plug on these firms after they consistently failed to meet their obligations, including filing annual accounts and confirmation statements detailing shareholder information. And let's be clear: this isn't just about being late – it's a criminal offence to neglect your duties as a company director.
Among the casualties is City Girls Productions, which was set up to produce a film starring Elizabeth Hurley, but ended up abandoned in Yorkshire. A crew member on that production tells us that young workers were left unpaid for their work, while another supplier says they're still waiting for thousands of pounds owed by RK Film Productions – another Latham-linked company now gone.
Further digging has revealed that these 50 companies linked to Mr Latham have been late with their paperwork a staggering 400 times. It's a pattern that raises eyebrows in the industry, where companies like these are often set up as Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to manage the finances of individual projects. You'd expect them to stay active for years, not get struck off after repeatedly breaking the rules.
Mr Latham himself has faced questions before over how his films were financed. Now, with 50 of his companies gone and dozens of workers left out of pocket, those concerns are looking more serious by the day. We tried to speak to Mr Latham about all this, but he's not commenting – for now, at least.