Sema Lease UK Limited: FCA regulated?

Authorised by the FCA

This firm is on the FCA register and authorised to carry out regulated activities.

Authorised for 11 years
Complaints covered by the Ombudsman
No FCA actions
Active company since 2004
Accounts filed up to 31 March 2025

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

Website

semalease.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Phone number

01842 764467
Address

2 Fison Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1HT, United Kingdom

In the full report: 3 background checks

When semalease.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
What kind of line 01842 764467 is, and the other firm that gives it
Who else gives the postcode IP24 1HT

FCA permissions and consumer protection

Hire out goods to consumers No FSCS cover
Consumer credit is not covered by the FSCS, so there is no compensation scheme if the firm fails.
Complaints Ombudsman, free
You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.

Show FCA detail (2 permissions)

Entering into Regulated Consumer Hire Agreements as owner
Exercising or having the right to exercise the owner's rights and duties under a regulated consumer hire agreement

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company number: 05036315 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private limited company
Incorporated: 5 February 2004 (22 years old)
Registered office: Matches the FCA register address ✓
Nature of business: Renting and leasing of cars and light motor vehicles (SIC 77110)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Richard Carey Ames	Director	May 1955	5 Feb 2004	15 other companies
Graham John Balaam	Director	Feb 1962	5 Feb 2004	11 other companies
Tanja Ames	Director	May 1980	4 Nov 2024	2 other companies
Graham John Balaam	Secretary	Not published	5 Feb 2004	11 other companies

Other companies run by these 3 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies: 17
closed down: 11
is FCA-registered: 1

In the full report: all 17 companies, named

What each company does, and whether it is still trading
Which of these 3 directors sit on each board, and since when
Any that went into liquidation or administration
The one on the FCA register
The 9 companies these 3 directors run together
All 4 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Filed accounts and finances

Year to 31 March 2025Group accountsAudited

Turnover

£17.4m

−23% from £22.5m

Profit before tax

−£576k

−186% from £667k

Net assets

£6.51m

−15% from £7.68m

Cash at bank

£1.77m

−26% from £2.40m

Turnover and profit

In the full report: all 6 years of accounts

Every year from 2020 to 2025
Both charts, over every year
Every filed figure, year by year

About these figures

Turnover: Money taken from sales in the year, before any costs.
Profit before tax: What was left after the year’s costs, before corporation tax. A minus figure is a loss.
Net assets, or total equity: Everything the company owns minus everything it owes. A minus figure means it owes more than it owns.
Total assets and total liabilities: Everything the company owns, and everything it owes, on the last day of the year. The gap between them is its net assets.
Cash at bank: Money in the company’s accounts on the last day of the year.
Owed within a year, owed after a year: Debts and bills due in the next twelve months, and those due later.

The figures for the year to 31 March 2025 were read from the printed accounts, because the filing does not tag them in a form that can be read automatically. They were checked against the accounts’ own totals.

These are group figures: the firm and the companies it owns, combined.

Accounts filed at Companies House for company 05036315. Every figure is as filed, apart from total assets and total liabilities, which are added up from filed figures. Nothing is estimated.

Key dates in its history

Sema Lease UK’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (4) All events (8)

2016

6 April 2016

Richard Carey Ames took control (75–100% of shares)

Companies House

2015

15 October 2015

Regulated by the FCA from this date
Became authorised by the FCA

FCA register

2004

5 February 2004

Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 8 events

All 8 events in its history (4 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 3

Firms connected to Sema Lease UK

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Sema Lease UK. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

connected firm: 1
share a director: 1
share its phone number: 1

In the full report: the connected firm, named

How it is linked: shared directors (1), the same phone number (1), the same postcode (1)
Who links it to this firm: the named directors, with dates

Firms like Sema Lease UK

Other firms of the same type (car leasing or hire), nearest first.

In the Ipswich (IP) postcode area

Focus Car SalesBury St. EdmundsAuthorised Chassis-Cab LimitedIpswichAuthorised Tru7 LimitedIpswichAuthorised

Firms are listed by type and location, best known first. Being listed is not a recommendation: check any firm before you deal with it.

Get the full report on Sema Lease UK

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

17 other companies its directors have run, named
3 background checks on its contact details
6 years of accounts, charted
All 8 events in its history
1 connected firm, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Sema Lease UK Limited FCA authorised?

Yes, Sema Lease UK Limited (FRN 713284) is authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated activities. It has held its current authorisation since October 2015 and works as a car leasing or hire. The FCA has placed no limits on its permissions.

What is Sema Lease UK’s phone number and website?

The FCA register lists the phone number 01842 764467 and the website semalease.co.uk for Sema Lease UK. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further. The same number is also given by one other FCA firm.

Is Sema Lease UK a scam or clone?

Sema Lease UK is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.

Is my money safe with Sema Lease UK?

Its FCA permissions do not allow it to hold or control client money. Protection depends on which product you hold and how Sema Lease UK handles your money, so check the specific product before you commit. You can also refer complaints about Sema Lease UK to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.

Who owns Sema Lease UK?

Companies House lists one person with significant control of Sema Lease UK: Mr Richard Carey Ames (75–100% of shares).

Who runs Sema Lease UK?

Companies House lists 3 directors of Sema Lease UK: Richard Carey Ames, Graham John Balaam and Tanja Ames.

How long has Sema Lease UK been in business?

The company was formed on 5 February 2004, and has held its current FCA authorisation since October 2015.

What do Sema Lease UK’s latest accounts show?

Its latest accounts, to 31 March 2025, show turnover of £17.4m (−23% from £22.5m) and profit before tax of −£576k (−186% from £667k).