National firm Kingly Solicitors Limited, which has 16 offices across the United Kingdom, has been shut down by the regulator.

According to a statement by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the firm – which trades under several different names – has not complied with one or more of the terms of its licence.

The SRA has also intervened in the practices of Kingly's three directors, Champika Ratnayake, Simon Hutcheson and Simon Crosby Peacock (who was admitted as a solicitor in 1986). It added that there ‘is reason to suspect dishonesty’ by Nurul Miah as a manager of the firm in connection with the firm’s business; or any trust of which the firm is or was a trustee; or any trust of which Miah is or was a trustee in his capacity as a manager.

Kingly Solicitors, which was known as RH Legal until last year, began acquiring law firms across the UK in 2016. It now has offices in Bristol, London, York, Leighton Buzzard, Watford and Harrogate, among other locations.

Peter Gibson, the MP for Darlington who founded Coles Solicitors, acquired by Kingly last year, said: ‘It is with great sadness that I have today learned of the intervention by the SRA in my former firm. On learning of this terrible news this morning I have made contact with Gordons, who are carrying out the intervention for the SRA, and offered them my every assistance.’

By Jemma Slingo