The founder of Liverpool‑based Signature Group, Lawrence Kenwright, has been banned from acting as a company director until 2031 after the UK Insolvency Service found that a subsidiary distributed false and misleading marketing material, causing investors to lose £4.8mn.

Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said Kenwright’s failures had serious consequences for investors, and while he is not accused of direct fraud, his conduct falls well below the standards expected of directors. Kenwright settled, signing an agreement that he did not dispute his unfitness, days before a scheduled trial.

The disqualification prevents Kenwright from involvement in the promotion, formation or management of any company without court permission for five years. It follows the Serious Fraud Office’s closure in July of its probe into an alleged £140mn property fraud at Signature Group, citing no realistic prospect of conviction. The SFO had arrested four people in 2024.

Signature Group, which operated for seven years and promised 8‑15% returns, collapsed in 2020. It owned high‑profile Liverpool hotels such as The Shankly Hotel and The Dixie Dean Hotel. Kenwright, 60, has directed almost 100 companies, over 60 under the Signature brand.