If Bristow & Sutor has contacted you, it usually means a debt — often council tax, an unpaid traffic penalty or a court debt — has been passed to them to collect. Bristow & Sutor is a long-established enforcement firm that many councils use to collect council tax and business rates. Being contacted by an enforcement firm is stressful, but you have clear rights, and knowing them puts you back in control.
The essentials
- Bristow & Sutor are enforcement agents (bailiffs) — but for most debts they can't force entry.
- You must get a Notice of Enforcement with at least 7 clear days' warning before a visit.
- Visits are only allowed between 6am and 9pm, and they must show ID and a breakdown of the debt and fees.
- Their fees are fixed by law — £75, then £235, then £110.
What Bristow & Sutor can and can't do
As certificated enforcement agents, Bristow & Sutor can attend your home to collect a debt once a creditor or court has instructed them — but for the great majority of debts, including council tax, they cannot force their way in. They must enter peacefully, so you don't have to open the door and they can't push past you or climb through a window. See can bailiffs force entry? and what can bailiffs take? for the detail, and your rights with bailiffs for the rules they must follow.
The fees
Bristow & Sutor can only charge the statutory fees: £75 at the compliance stage (when they send the notice), £235 when an agent visits, and £110 if goods are removed for sale, with a percentage on larger debts. Because the fees stack up, acting during the seven-day notice period can limit you to the first £75 — see bailiff fees explained.
How to deal with Bristow & Sutor
Contact them (or the council/creditor) early and make a realistic offer, keeping everything in writing. If the debt is council tax, our guides on stopping council tax bailiffs and payment plans walk through it, and you can apply for Breathing Space to freeze action for 60 days. If they've broken the rules, you can complain to the firm, then the creditor or council. More in how to stop bailiffs and can bailiffs refuse a payment plan?
For free, independent help, visit Money Helper.