The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 March 2026.

New Path Fire and Security Limited is a growing group of fire and security businesses. Our businesses cover all aspects of fire safety and security systems including installation, maintenance, servicing and monitoring.

This is a sector which benefits from recurring maintenance revenues, compliance obligations often underpinned by legislation, and fragmented and plentiful acquisition opportunities.

New Path has made 14 acquisitions since inception, including one since our last report.

The shareholders and Directors have a broad range of experience in accountancy, mergers and acquisitions and fire sector operations.

The Company is pleased to report its financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2026, with key highlights as follows:

SALES REVENUE        £20.1m        (2025: £15.9m)        26% increase

GROSS MARGIN         52%        (2025: 52%)    

EBITDA              £4.2m        (2025: £3.6m)        

Our strategy is to grow shareholder value through the acquisition and organic growth of reputable, profitable SMEs in fire and security. Acquisitions are made selectively, only when they bring strategic benefit to the group, such as geography, critical mass or service expertise.

Our most recent acquisition was Elite Entrance Systems Ltd, an automated door specialist. This adjacent acquisition offers our group compelling cross selling prospects, particularly for our access control operators. This is already producing excellent results.

At the date of this report New Path has reached annualised revenue of £20.1m with 143 employees. The portfolio boasts a high proportion of recurring and repeating revenues (70%) from a predominantly commercial sector customer base (93% by value). Our business is well balanced with around half deriving from fire, and the other half from security, electrical and entrance systems.

New Path seeks to support and encourage enhanced performance whilst maintaining the character and individuality of the acquired business, including the retention of the brand and people wherever possible.

Our onboarding programme for new acquisitions is now well-established, being rapid and successful and has improved gross margin. We focus on high value-add in the early stages whilst avoiding sensitive and risky operational management systems changes:

• Finance function centralisation including P2P

• Materials purchasing economies, lowering prices.

• HR and training

• IT, including Cyber security and risk management

• Insurance

• Sales and marketing strategy and digital programmes

The fixed interest profile of the company’s funding minimises interest rate volatility risk. The risk of disruption from departing vendors is mitigated through management succession planning and internal promotion. The business risk arising from the complexity of a group structure is managed through workflow processes and a regional leadership structure.

During the financial year, New Path acquired:

• 100% of the share capital of Elite Entrance Systems Limited on 1st April 2025. Elite is a leading regional provider of automated doors and roller shutter systems with a wide customer base in education, NHS and retail.

The Directors believe the outlook is extremely promising for our group and for the sector. The pipeline of internally originated acquisition prospects is healthy, with further deals expected within 12 months.

The Directors wish to thank all our colleagues for their hard work and dedication and look forward to reporting further progress in due course.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted for use in the United Kingdom and with those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS, except as otherwise stated.

The principal activity of the group continued to be that of fire safety, security, electrical and entrance systems including installation, maintenance, servicing and monitoring.

The results for the year are set out on page 9.

No ordinary dividends were paid.

Preference dividends included in these accounts amount to £142,547.

The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The group's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to follow the CBI's Prompt Payers Code (copies are available from the CBI, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DU).

The group's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to:

• settle the terms of payment with suppliers when agreeing the terms of each transaction;

• ensure that suppliers are made aware of the terms of payment by inclusion of the relevant terms in contracts; and

• pay in accordance with the company's contractual and other legal obligations.

Trade creditors of the group at the year end were equivalent to 58 days' purchases, based on the average daily amount invoiced by suppliers during the year.

As the group has not consumed more than 40,000 kWh of energy in this reporting period, it qualifies as a low energy user under these regulations and is not required to report on its emissions, energy consumption or energy efficiency activities.

Each director in office at the date of approval of this annual report confirms that:

• so far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company's auditor is unaware, and

• the director has taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a director in order to be aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditor is aware of that information.

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of section 418 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the group and parent company financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the United Kingdom. Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, International Accounting Standard 1 requires that directors:

• properly select and apply accounting policies;

• present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information;

• provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity's financial position and financial performance; and

• make an assessment of the company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

We have audited the financial statements of New Path Fire and Security Ltd (the ‘parent company’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2026 which comprise the consolidated income statement, the consolidated statement of financial position, the company statement of financial position, consolidated statement of changes in equity, company statement of changes in equity, consolidated statement of cashflows, company statement of cashflows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the UK.

In our opinion:

• the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the group's and of the parent company's affairs as at 31 March 2026 and of the group's profit for the year then ended;

• the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with UK adopted international accounting standards; and

• the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group's and parent company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to

report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the directors' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

Based on our understanding of the group, the parent company and industry, we identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to breaches of UK regulatory principles, such as those governed by the relevant construction authorities. We also considered the laws and regulations which have a direct impact on the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006.

We evaluated management's incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls),and determined that the principal risks were related to management bias in accounting estimates and judgmental areas of the financial statements.

Audit procedures performed by the audit engagement team included:

• Discussions with senior management, including consideration of known or suspected instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations or instances of fraud;

• Identifying and testing journal entries based on risk criteria;

• Designing audit procedures to incorporate unpredictability around the nature, timing or extent of our testing;

• Testing transactions entered into outside of the normal course of the company's business;

• Reviewing any potential litigation or claims against the entity which indicate any potential noncompliance issues.

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above. We are less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations that are not closely related to events and transactions reflected in the financial statements. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to the members in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

As permitted by trues408 Companies Act 2006, the company has not presented its own income statement and related notes. The company’s profit for the year was £1,786,464 (2025 - £368,825 profit).

New Path Fire and Security Ltd is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Unit 6, City Grove Trading Estate, Woodside Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, England, SO50 4ET. The company's principal activities and nature of its operations are disclosed in the directors' report.

The group consists of New Path Fire and Security Ltd and all of its subsidiaries.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted for use in the United Kingdom and with those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS, except as otherwise stated.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the group. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

The cost of a business combination is the fair value at the acquisition date of the assets given, equity instruments issued and liabilities incurred or assumed, plus costs directly attributable to the business combination. The excess of the cost of a business combination over the fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired is recognised as goodwill.

The cost of the combination includes the estimated amount of contingent consideration that is probable and can be measured reliably, and is adjusted for changes in contingent consideration after the acquisition date.

Provisional fair values recognised for business combinations in previous periods are adjusted retrospectively for final fair values determined in the 12 months following the acquisition date.

The consolidated group financial statements consist of the financial statements of the parent company New Path Fire and Security Ltd together with all entities controlled by the parent company (its subsidiaries) and the group’s share of its interests in joint ventures and associates.

All financial statements are made up to 31 March 2026. Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by other members of the group.

All intra-group transactions, balances and unrealised gains on transactions between group companies are eliminated on consolidation. Unrealised losses are also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred.

Subsidiaries are consolidated in the group’s financial statements from the date that control commences until the date that control ceases.

Entities in which the group holds an interest and which are jointly controlled by the group and one or more other venturers under a contractual arrangement are treated as joint ventures. Entities other than subsidiary undertakings or joint ventures, in which the group has a participating interest and over whose operating and financial policies the group exercises a significant influence, are treated as associates.

Investments in joint ventures and associates are carried in the group statement of financial position at cost plus post-acquisition changes in the group’s share of the net assets of the entity, less any impairment in value. The carrying values of investments in joint ventures and associates include acquired goodwill.

If the group’s share of losses in a joint venture or associate equals or exceeds its investment in the joint venture or associate, the group does not recognise further losses unless it has incurred obligations to do so or has made payments on behalf of the joint venture or associate.

Unrealised gains arising from transactions with joint ventures and associates are eliminated to the extent of the group’s interest in the entity.

The directors have at the time of approving the financial statements, a reasonable expectation that the truegroup has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Revenue is measured based on the consideration specified in a contract with a customer and excludes amounts collected on behalf of third parties. The group recognises revenue when it transfers control of a product or service to a customer.

When cash inflows are deferred and represent a financing arrangement, the fair value of the consideration is the present value of the future receipts. The difference between the fair value of the consideration and the nominal amount received is recognised as interest income.

The group recognises revenue from the following major sources:

• Fire and security systems installation and servicing

• Electrical services

The nature, timing of satisfaction of performance obligations and significant payment terms of the group's major sources of revenue are as follows:

Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer, the amount of revenue can be measured reliably, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the group and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.

Revenue from contracts for the provision of professional services is recognised by reference to the stage of completion when the stage of completion, costs incurred and costs to complete can be estimated reliably. The stage of completion is calculated by comparing costs incurred, mainly in relation to contractual hourly staff rates and materials, as a proportion of total costs. Where the outcome cannot be estimated reliably, revenue is recognised only to the extent of the expenses recognised that are recoverable.

Revenue from contracts for the provision of professional services is recognised by reference to the stage of completion when the stage of completion, costs incurred and costs to complete can be estimated reliably. The stage of completion is calculated by comparing costs incurred, mainly in relation to contractual hourly staff rates and materials, as a proportion of total costs. Where the outcome cannot be estimated reliably, revenue is recognised only to the extent of the expenses recognised that are recoverable.

Goodwill represents the excess of consideration over the fair value of identifiable net assets. It is initially recognised as an asset at cost and is subsequently measured at cost less impairment losses.

The gain on a bargain purchase is recognised in profit or loss in the period of the acquisition.

For the purposes of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated to the cash-generating units expected to benefit from the acquisition. Cash-generating units to which goodwill has been allocated are tested for impairment at least annually, or more frequently when there is an indication that the unit may be impaired. If the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit is less than the carrying amount of the unit, the impairment loss is allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the unit and then to the other assets of the unit pro-rata on the basis of the carrying amount of each asset in the unit. An impairment loss recognised for goodwill is not subsequently reversed.

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the income statement.

Interests in subsidiaries, associates and jointly controlled entities are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in profit or loss.

A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the parent company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

An associate is an entity, being neither a subsidiary nor a joint venture, in which the group holds a long-term interest and has significant influence. The group considers that it has significant influence where it has the power to participate in the financial and operating decisions of the associate.

Entities in which the group has a long term interest and shares control under a contractual arrangement are classified as jointly controlled entities.

At each reporting end date, the group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the group estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives and intangible assets not yet available for use are tested for impairment annually, and whenever there is an indication that the asset may be impaired.

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash-generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (or cash-generating unit) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation increase.

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition.

Inventories held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured at the lower of cost and replacement cost, adjusted where applicable for any loss of service potential.

Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

Financial assets are recognised in the group's statement of financial position when the group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Financial assets are classified into specified categories, depending on the nature and purpose of the financial assets.

At initial recognition, financial assets classified as fair value through profit and loss are measured at fair value and any transaction costs are recognised in profit or loss. Financial assets not classified as fair value through profit and loss are initially measured at fair value plus transaction costs.

When any of the above-mentioned conditions for classification of financial assets is not met, a financial asset is classified as measured at fair value through profit or loss. Financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss are recognized initially at fair value and any transaction costs are recognised in profit or loss when incurred. A gain or loss on a financial asset measured at fair value through profit or loss is recognised in profit or loss, and is included within finance income or finance costs in the statement of income for the reporting period in which it arises.

Financial instruments are classified as financial assets measured at amortised cost where the objective is to hold these assets in order to collect contractual cash flows, and the contractual cash flows are solely payments of principal and interest. They arise principally from the provision of goods and services to customers (eg trade receivables). They are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction costs directly attributable to their acquisition or issue, and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less provision for impairment where necessary.

Debt instruments are classified as financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive income where the financial assets are held within the group’s business model whose objective is achieved by both collecting contractual cash flows and selling financial assets, and the contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding.

A debt instrument measured at fair value through other comprehensive income is recognised initially at fair value plus transaction costs directly attributable to the asset. After initial recognition, each asset is measured at fair value, with changes in fair value included in other comprehensive income. Accumulated gains or losses recognised through other comprehensive income are directly transferred to profit or loss when the debt instrument is derecognised.

The parent company has made an irrevocable election to recognize changes in fair value of investments in equity instruments through other comprehensive income, not through profit or loss. A gain or loss from fair value changes will be shown in other comprehensive income and will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss. Equity instruments measured at fair value through other comprehensive income are recognized initially at fair value plus transaction cost directly attributable to the asset. After initial recognition, each asset is measured at fair value, with changes in fair value included in other comprehensive income. Accumulated gains or losses recognized through other comprehensive income are directly transferred to retained earnings when the equity instrument is derecognized or its fair value substantially decreased. Dividends are recognized as finance income in profit or loss.

Financial assets carried at amortised cost and fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI) are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

The expected credit losses associated with these assets are estimated on a forward-looking basis. A broad range of information is considered when assessing credit risk and measuring expected credit losses, including past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the expected collectability of the future cash flows of the instrument.

For trade receivables, the simplified approach permitted by IFRS 9 is applied, which requires expected lifetime losses to be recognised from initial recognition of the receivables.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or when it transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity.

The group recognises financial debt when the group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instruments. Financial liabilities are classified as either 'financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss' or 'other financial liabilities'.

Other financial liabilities, including borrowings, trade payables and other short-term monetary liabilities, are initially measured at fair value net of transaction costs directly attributable to the issuance of the financial liability. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. For the purposes of each financial liability, interest expense includes initial transaction costs and any premium payable on redemption, as well as any interest or coupon payable while the liability is outstanding.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when, and only when, the group’s obligations are discharged, cancelled, or they expire.

Equity instruments issued by the parent company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer payable at the discretion of the company.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income statement because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit, and is accounted for using the balance sheet liability method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the temporary difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the group has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of inventories or non-current assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the group is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

At inception, the group assesses whether a contract is, or contains, a lease within the scope of IFRS 16. A contract is, or contains, a lease if the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Where a tangible asset is acquired through a lease, the group recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at the lease commencement date. Right-of-use assets are included within property, plant and equipment, apart from those that meet the definition of investment property.

The right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, which comprises the initial amount of the lease liability adjusted for any lease payments made at or before the commencement date plus any initial direct costs and an estimate of the cost of obligations to dismantle, remove, refurbish or restore the underlying asset and the site on which it is located, less any lease incentives received.

The right-of-use asset is subsequently depreciated using the straight-line method from the commencement date to the earlier of the end of the useful life of the right-of-use asset or the end of the lease term. The estimated useful lives of right-of-use assets are determined on the same basis as those of other property, plant and equipment. The right-of-use asset is periodically reduced by impairment losses, if any, and adjusted for certain remeasurements of the lease liability.

The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments that are unpaid at the commencement date, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, the group's incremental borrowing rate. Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise fixed payments, variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate, amounts expected to be payable under a residual value guarantee, and the cost of any options that the group is reasonably certain to exercise, such as the exercise price under a purchase option, lease payments in an optional renewal period, or penalties for early termination of a lease.

The lease liability is measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. It is remeasured when there is a change in: future lease payments arising from a change in an index or rate; the group's estimate of the amount expected to be payable under a residual value guarantee; or the group's assessment of whether it will exercise a purchase, extension or termination option. When the lease liability is remeasured in this way, a corresponding adjustment is made to the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset, or is recorded in profit or loss if the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset has been reduced to zero.

The group has elected not to recognise right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases of machinery that have a lease term of 12 months or less, or for leases of low-value assets including IT equipment. The payments associated with these leases are recognised in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the group during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The charge for the year can be reconciled to the profit before taxation per the income statement as follows:

In addition to the amount charged to the income statement, the following amounts relating to tax have been recognised directly in other comprehensive income:

There is a fixed and floating charge, registered in the company's name, which covers all the property or undertaking of the company. This charge also contains a negative pledge.

Details of the company's subsidiary undertakings at 31 March 2026 are as follows:

Registered office addresses (all UK unless otherwise indicated):

The Investments in Subsidiary undertakings are stated at cost.

Advance Fire and Security Limited, Aran Fire Protection Limited, Armour Security (London) Limited, Arundel Fire Security and Electrical Limited, Bourne End & Henley Security Systems Limited, FireCare, Security and Electrical Limited and VGI Management Ltd are exempt from audit under s479A of the Companies Act 2006, although they have been included in the consolidated accounts.

New Path Fire and Security Ltd has given a guarantee, under s479C of the Companies Act 2006, to these companies to obtain this exemption.

Except as detailed below the directors believe that the carrying amounts of financial assets carried at amortised cost in the financial statements approximate to their fair values.

Details of the company's principal operating subsidiaries are included in note 16.

On 1 April 2025 the group acquired 100 percent of the issued capital of Elite Entrance Systems Limited.

Goodwill represents the excess of consideration over the fair value of identifiable net assets.

The directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables is approximately equal to their fair value.

Other than the balances provided for below, the directors do not consider any significant receivable amounts to be impaired at the reporting end date.

Lease liabilities are classified based on the amounts that are expected to be settled within the next 12 months and after more than 12 months from the reporting date, as follows:

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the group and movements thereon during the current and prior reporting period.

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon during the current and prior reporting period.

The deferred tax liability set out above is expected to reverse within 12 months and relates to accelerated capital allowances that are expected to mature within the same period.

The group operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the group in an independently administered fund.

The group is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.