Three family members disqualified for 23 years By Roger Brown
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THREE FAMILY MEMBERS, who ran Liverpool-based Brasenose Container Services (BCS), have been disqualified from being company directors for a total of 23 years, after failing to keep proper books and records or pay taxes.
Following an investigation by the Insolvency Service (IS), John Postlethwaite, 69, was disqualified for nine years while John Anthony Postlethwaite, 49, and Lee Postlethwaite, 30, were both disqualified for seven years each.
BCS — authorised to run 13 vehicles and 20 trailers — went into liquidation in June 2011 with a deficiency to creditors of £157,352.
The IS discovered that while directors of the company, the three men failed to: • keep proper books and records, meaning the liquidator was unable to account for the company's assets, sales and receipts. In addition, bank payments of £1,701,939, of which £834,071 was in cash, were unexplained and there was no evidence available that these funds were used on behalf of the company; • pay HMRC £112,689 in overdue tax; or • abide by an undertaking given to the traffic commissioner in respect of BCS's 0-licence that John Postlethwaite would not be employed by the company in any capacity, and would take no part in the running of the business.
The investigation found that John Postlethwaite was the dominant force of the company, which led to the higher period of disqualification handed to him Commenting on the disqualifications, Vicky Bagnall, director of investigation and enforcement services at the IS, said the three directors had displayed a "total disregard" for the rules regarding the running of a company and having an 0-licence.