Animal husbandry couple banned as directors for six years

A COUPLE who ran an animal husbandry and livestock business in Lancaster have been banned from acting as company directors for six years for failing to maintain accounting records.

Nathan Brown and Carole Brown were the directors of C&N Shearing Ltd (Shearing).

The investigation found the couple failed to maintain or deliver up Shearing’s accounting records which meant that it was not possible to determine Shearing’s income and expenditure during its final trading period or establish that all money paid out was for the benefit of the company.

It has also not been possible to determine what stock belonged to the company, what book debts were due to the company, verify what happened to assets valued at £123,440 in the 2013 annual accounts or verify how much was owed to creditors.

Carole Brown’s disqualification, from  December 27 2016, means she cannot promote, manage or be a director of a limited company until 2022.

Nathan Brown’s disqualification, from January 2 2017, means he cannot promote, manage or be a director of a limited company until 2023.

Robert Clarke, head of insolvent investigations North at the Insolvency Service, said: “Directors have a duty to ensure that their companies maintain proper accounting records, and, following insolvency, deliver them to the office-holder in the interests of fairness and transparency.

“Without a full account of transactions it is impossible to determine whether a director has discharged his duties properly, or is using a lack of documentation as a cloak for impropriety.”