A Manchester-based publisher has been banned for ten years for failing to keep and deliver up adequate accounts.
Terri-Louise Jean Stanner – sole director of Safetywatch UK Ltd – sold adverts in health and safety at work and road awareness publications.
On 9 December 2016, Stanner, 30, gave a disqualification undertaking not to act as a director for ten years. The disqualification follows an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
Safetywatch UK Ltd was incorporated as a private company on 9 November 2011, with its registered office at Flat 1 Hartshead View, 267 Broadoak Road, Ashton-under-Lyne.
The company was wound up by the Court on 15 April 2015, following the presentation of a petition by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on public interest grounds.
The investigation, by Official Receiver’s Public Interest Unit (North), part of the Insolvency Service, found and Ms Stanner did not dispute that she failed to ensure that Safetywatch UK Ltd maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records, as well as failing to deliver up such records as were maintained and/or preserved for the period from the company’s incorporation on 9 November 2011 to its Liquidation on 15 April 2015.
As a result, it has not been possible to verify the trading activities of the company and the nature, purpose and legitimacy of the transactions undertaken by the company.
An investigation also found that, between 9 November 2011 and 15 April 2015, Stanner caused Safetywatch to trade in a manner contrary to the public interest, by failing to ensure that Safetywatch produced and published adverts for which customers had made payment. She caused Safetywatch to charge customers Value Added Tax, which has not been declared or otherwise paid over to HM Revenue and Customs.
Official Receiver Ken Beasley said:
“Limited liability protection is only available to those who comply with their obligations as company directors – if those obligations are ignored, that protection will be withdrawn.
“The Insolvency Service has strong enforcement powers – and we will not hesitate to use them to remove dishonest or reckless directors from the business environment, as has been demonstrated in this case.”
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