Bell Leisure Investments, the holding company of health club chain Esporta, has been put into administration.

Grant Thornton has been appointed as administrator of Bell Leisure Investments No 1 and No 2 to sell, or restructure, the company.

The financial advisors said that Esporta itself was not in administration and was “generating operating profits in excess of £30m”.

Meanwhile, the Halabi Family Trust, owners of the Esporta chain, has hired the investment bank Lazard to conduct a strategic review of the company.

The trust, which acquired the group last year, is considering alternatives with regard to Esporta’s capital structure.

Esporta chief executive Glenn Timms said: “Members, suppliers and employees are not directly impacted by this review of capital structure and strategic alternatives, and should ultimately benefit from a stronger Esporta.”

Tim Redburn has been appointed Esporta’s interim finance director and Steve Charlton as executive board director with interim responsibility for human resources.

Commenting on the new appointments, Timms said: “We have reviewed our organisational structure and are re-aligning the leadership team more closely with the company’s aim of delivering an exceptional member offering.

“The new management team is excited to be at the helm of a business which has great underlying fundamentals with a high-quality employee base, and which represents a very strong platform for future growth.”