Eight year ban for Liverpool cab firm boss

THE boss of a Liverpool minicab business which failed owing more than £225,000 to HMRC has been disqualified from acting as a director for eight years.

Lee Michael Battle, 38, the sole director of Yorkspeed Ltd, which traded as City Kabs, was pursued by the Insolvency Service for failing to pay tax or keep proper accounting records.

It launched an investigation after Croxteth-based City Kabs, which began trading in 2006, was placed into creditors’ voluntary liquidation in April 2011.

The investigation found that Mr Battle had not provided sufficient information to the liquidator to explain more than £700,000 cash withdrawals, over £40,000 of bank transfers and more than £13,500 of cheques, between August 2009 and March 2011.

The Insolvency Service said he also failed to explain why the company made lump sum payments of over £40,000 each to both himself and a family member.

A Disqualification Order was made in Liverpool County Court on September 20 banning Mr Battle until 2021.

Robert Clarke, head of Insolvent Investigations North, at the Insolvency Service, said: “Directors who operate cash-based businesses have to maintain sufficient records to explain where the money has gone, and following insolvency make sure that such records are delivered up for scrutiny by the relevant bodies.

“By failing to do this, HMRC cannot be sure that all funds received by the company were used for legitimate purposes.”