Hefty ban for former training company boss

Gerald Syddall from St Helens founded Daresbury-based Elmfield Training Ltd (Elmfield), which was once one of the UK’s largest providers of apprenticeships and pre-employment training.

The Insolvency Service said he had been disqualified for six years for breaching his fiduciary duty to the company.

Following an investigation by the Insolvency Service, Syddall, who was adjudged bankrupt in April 2015 on the petition of HMRC, gave a disqualification undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, preventing him from acting as a director until February 2022.

Investigators found that in March 2013, when Elmfield was experiencing cashflow difficulties and attempting to negotiate a time-to-pay agreement with a creditor which was not ratified, Mr Syddall gave an undertaking to the board of directors that he would not use company funds for his own benefit.

However the Insolvency Service said Syddall, individuals connected to him, and another company of which he was a director, proceeded to receive payments totalling almost £954,000. When Elmfield went into administration in November 2013 Syddall owed the company £2.6m.

Commenting on the disqualification, Robert Clarke, group leader of Insolvent Investigations North at The Insolvency Service, said: “Mr Syddall clearly put his own interests ahead of those of the company. To make matters worse, this was after he had vowed to the company’s board that he would not do this.

“Directors of companies should know that this type of conduct is not acceptable and, in such circumstances, the Insolvency Service will take action against them. As a consequence, Mr Syddall has been disqualified for a considerable period of time.”