Eight-year ban for director after disqualification breach

A MIDDLESBROUGH director has been handed an eight-year disqualification after breaching a previous order banning him from holding a directorship.

David Thompson, 55 of Acklam, Middlesbrough, was disqualified in November 2013 as director of Interior Service Solutions, a shopfitting company registered in Stockton-on-Tees.

HM Revenue and Customs said that he had failed to comply with the company’s obligations to HMRC and allowed the company to trade to the detriment of the taxman. He was disqualified between 25 November 2013 and 24 May 2017.

However Thompson continued to act as if a director in Interior Services successor company Concept 9 Ltd.

He controlled the affairs of the company including being the key official who dealt with the bank and signing the vast majority of cheques issued and dealing with queries from HMRC.

Thompson gave an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy not to act as a director for 8 years, from 6 September 2016.

The disqualification prevents Mr Thompson from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company for the duration of the order, without leave of the Court until 2024.

Robert Clarke, group leader of Insolvent Investigations North, which is part of The Insolvency Service said: “Directors who ignore disqualification undertakings that they have previously given, and those who provide cover for them, to allow them to continue to run limited companies will be vigorously pursued by the Insolvency Service.

“The length of the undertakings in this case sends a clear message to the business community that such actions will not be tolerated.”