DECC UK Department of Energy and Climate Change : Director of Manchester-based publisher banned for 10 years

Safetywatch sold adverts in health and safety at work and road awareness publications.

On 9 December 2016 Ms Stanner (30), the sole returned director of Safetywatch UK Ltd, gave a disqualification undertaking not to act as a director for 10 years. The disqualification follows an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

The effect of the undertaking is that Ms Stanner cannot, except with permission of the Court, be a director of a company or take part in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

Safetywatch UK Ltd 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, or in the alternative, she failed 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
• between 9 November 2011 and 15 April 2015 she 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

Commenting on the disqualification, 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 If those obligations are ignored, that protection will be withdrawn.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.

Notes to editors

Safetywatch UK Ltd was incorporated as a private company on 9 November 2011. The registered office of the company was situated at Flat 1 Hartshead View, 267 Broadoak Road, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 8RP.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company's property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

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