A director of a business that supplied labour to the rail industry which failed with debts estimated at £247,000 has been disqualified at Manchester County Court from acting as a company director for seven years.

Ivon Charles Roberts, aged 41, of Bardsley Court, Bagginswood, Kidderminster, was a director of System 4 of Rail House, Gresty Road, Crewe, which was placed into administrative receivership on July 18, 2002.

Matters of unfit conduct found by the court, included that he failed to ensure that System 4 maintained adequate accounting records, or failed to preserve such accounting records.

Meanwhile, a director of businesses engaged in construction and supplying building materials that failed with total debts estimated at around £ 245,000 has given an undertaking not to hold directorships or take part in any company management for eight years.

The undertaking by Jagdeep Singh Virdee of Green Lanes, Sutton Coldfield, was given in respect of his conduct as a director of Baker Construction, Platform Construction and Medion, all of which carried out business from premises at Streetly Road, Erdington.

Baker Construction went into voluntary liquidation on October 9, 2002, with estimated debts of £162,000.

Medion went into compulsory liquidation on May 6, 2003, with estimated liabilities of £30,000 and Platform Construction went into compulsory liquidation on October 14 2003 with estimated liabilities of £53,000.

Matters of unfit conduct not disputed by Mr Virdee were that as director of Baker Construction he caused or allowed the company to continue to trade whilst insolvent, failed to maintain, preserve and/or provide adequate accounting records, and failed to lodge returns with the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise.