By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 10:17, Saturday, 17 March 2012

The director of a scrap metal company has been disqualified for nine years for submitting false VAT returns.

Jonathan Cregan, the director of a scrap metal dealing company in Morton, Carlisle, was disqualified following an investigation by the Public Interest Unit (North), part of The Insolvency Service.

The registered office of the company was at Mossrigg, where it also traded from. Mr Cregan, the director of J Cregan Ltd, gave an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills not to promote, manage, or be a director of a company until 2021.

The company was wound-up by the Court on November 24, 2010, following a petition by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) owing creditors and shareholder £1.3m.

In giving the undertaking, Mr Cregan did not dispute that he caused J Cregan Ltd to fraudulently submit VAT returns to HMRC based on false invoices which resulted in a loss to HMRC of £1,325,984.

Mr Cregan failed to register with the local authority as a scrap metal dealer as required under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. Sales and purchases invoices obtained from HMRC showed that the company made purchases of at least £8,369,126 and sales of at least £8,440,167.

The investigation by the Public Interest Unit showed that JC Ltd claimed to have traded with four suppliers which between them had either never traded in the scrap metal sector, never traded with JC Ltd or had purportedly sold goods to JC Ltd at a time when they were not trading.

Commenting on the disqualification, official receiver Ken Beasley said: “Using false documents when submitting VAT returns is contrary to the conduct that is expected of a director. Mr Cregan failed to license the company and our investigations concluded that some of its paperwork appears to have been falsely produced.

“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 this director has found out.”

First published at 08:58, Saturday, 17 March 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk