Norton Motorcycles enters administration - what we know so far

Norton Motorcycles has entered administration.

The Castle Donington-based company in Leicestershire began life as a Birmingham brand.

Stuart Garner, owner of Norton, said his company owed HMRC £300,000 – mainly covered, he said, by outstanding research and development tax relief which was owed to the business.

What is Norton Motorcycles?

Started by James Lansdowne Norton, the company began as a manufacturer of “fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade", starting to manufacture motorcycles in 1902.

Norton motorbikes have featured in films including the James Bond movie Spectre and the 2004 Che Guevara memoir The Motorcycle Diaries - and won famous fans across the world including Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.

Will there be job cuts?

It's unclear - around 100 people work for the company, making bikes such as the Commando 961 Cafe Racer, Dominator and V4RR, which are now sold around the world.

What are the administrators saying?

Accountancy firm BDO said it had been appointed to manage the affairs of the Castle Donington-based bike manufacturer.

Lee Causer, BDO business restructuring partner, said:

Administrators have also been called into the Priest House Hotel, also based in Castle Donington, which is linked to the motorcycle business.

Staff at the hotel were understood to have been told about the decision yesterday (Wednesday).

A business called Legacy Hotels and Resorts has been brought in to run the hotel until a buyer is found.

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