Shareholders in Seafield have had a miserable time in recent years and, despite getting a dividend for the first time in 10 years, deserve better from their board - now minus chief executive Lyle Noble.

Last week, Seafield came out with a bald statement to the Irish Stock Exchange that Mr Noble was no longer a director of the company as of the previous day.

Did he resign? Was he sacked? What were the circumstances? Was the end of takeover talks with a third party connected with Mr Noble's departure? And what does Seafield plan to do about a replacement? All questions unanswered in Seafield's minimalist four-line statement to the exchange.

This sort of treatment of shareholders is just not acceptable any more and shareholders have every right to expect that the Seafield board - now comprising just chairman Jonathan Glanz and non-executive director Richard Hayes - tell them a lot more about how their company is being run, and particularly what is happening to the review by Albert E. Sharp and Goodbody's on Seafield's "future corporate strategy".