North: Couple disqualified as company directors

A Co Tyrone couple have been disqualified from being company directors after two firms they ran crashed with debts of over £500,000 (€730,000), it was revealed tonight.

Keith Carson of Cookstown was disqualified for unfit conduct for seven years and his partner Angela Johnson for four years.

The disqualifications were because of their conduct as directors of two companies which made concrete railway sleepers in Cookstown. One went bust in 2003 and the other in 2005.

Tri-Car [NI] Ltd went into liquidation with no assets and liabilities of £136,888.28 (€199,000). Nineteen months later European Railway Services Ltd went into liquidation with no assets and liabilities of £369,335.30 (€540,000).

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment said it had accepted disqualification undertakings from the couple for the periods detailed.

In cases where a director offers a disqualification undertaking acceptable to the department – avoiding a full court hearing – a shorter period of disqualification than otherwise appropriate is normally imposed, said DETI.

In the case of European Railway Services the company owed the Crown £36,700 (€53,700) in PAYE, National Insurance and VAT.

The couple had also issued 67 cheques to a value in excess of £68,500 (€100,000) which were not honoured and 18 direct debits and standing orders valued at almost £5,000 (€7,300) dishonoured, said DETI.

In relation to Tri-Car the bulk of the liability related to the accusation that they failed to pay over £120,000 (€175,000) to the Crown in relation to PAYE, VAT and National Insurance,