AN alarms firm boss had allowed his company to rack up estimated debts of £2.2million to the VAT man, according to the Insolvency Service.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service has now banned Sahir Hussain Ashraf, 31, of Bradley Hall Road, Nelson, from being a company director for 13 years after his outfit Awesome Acoustics and Alarms collapsed.

Ashraf was found guilty of not exercising proper control over his company, which traded from offices in Manchester House, Princess Street, Manchester.

He failed to keep proper accounts and sales invoices relating to suppliers or customers, said the Insolvency Service.

In the end the company went under, owing an estimated £2.2million to the VAT man, according to the Insolvency Service.

Ashraf could also not explain why £203,000 had been transferred from the company's bank accounts to an unnamed third party, between March and May 2005, as the enterprise foundered, said the Insolvency Service.

But Ashraf must now not be involved in the formation, promotion or management of a company until 2020.

The insolvency Service said: "Mr Ashraf had abrogated his responsibili-ity as director and failed to exercise proper control over the affairs of Awesome. He took directions from another person in relation to the operation of the company including dealing with customers and suppliers, the formulation of the pricing policy, method of payments and receipts and allowed another person to assume control of the company. "

The service said: "As a result we have been unable to verify the exact VAT liability owed by the company, or account for cash payments of £221,825 made from the company's bank account, and the estimated VAT liability of the company has been obtained by HMRC from records maintained by its customer"