12-year ban for lap dancing clubs boss
THE boss of a chain of lap dancing clubs has been disqualified from being a company director for 12 years following an investigation by The Insolvency Service.
Matthew Haycox, who ran The Provocative Group, a string of lap-dancing clubs trading as Wildcats, has signed a disqualification undertaking banning him from managing, controlling or being a director of any company until 2022.
The Insolvency Service found that Mr Haycox entered into trading transactions knowing his company was insolvent and could not pay for goods ordered.
Mr Haycox, of Leeds, grew Provocative so it had a portfolio of Wildcats clubs in Blackpool, Birmingham, Barnsley Harrogate, Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield.
However, all seven of Mr Haycox’s clubs were placed into administration on September 12, 2008, owing creditors an estimated £3m.
Mr Haycox was also the majority shareholder of Saltacres and was found by the Insolvency Service to have collaborated with Nicholas Warner, another Leeds-based director of Saltacres.
Mr Warner has also signed an undertaking banning him from being a director or in anyway managing or controlling any company until 2018.
Saltacres, which traded from stores selling cut priced goods in Lancashire and Yorkshire under the name Waremart, was placed into creditors voluntary liquidation on 29 September 2008, with an estimated total deficiency of £2.7m.
Vicky Bagnall, director of investigations for the Insolvency Service’s companies investigations team, said: “It is clear that both of these reckless directors went about their trading activities, collaborating together.
“In the full knowledge that their businesses were heading for formal insolvency they ordered hundreds of thousands of pounds of goods that they knew or should have known that they could not pay for.
“Other directors and members of the public should be reassured that The Insolvency Service works hard to remove dishonest and irresponsible people from the business environment to keep the UK a good place to do business.”
