A BUSINESSMAN has been disqualified from acting as a company director after running up debts of more than £800,000 as results of his conduct with eight failed companies. James Ashworth, 39, of Cobham Road, Accrington, was banned for five years at Blackburn County Court from being a director of a company or taking part in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

The total known deficiencies of all the companies of which Mr Ashworth has been a director amounted to £829,380.

The eight failed companies were: J L Ashworth (Hardware) Ltd, Toolish Things Ltd, Champion Hardware Ltd, Alfachem (Pennine) Ltd, Alfachem (UK) Ltd, Havelock Service Garage Ltd, Champion Glade Ltd and Direct Hardware Supplies Ltd.

The court heard how J L Ashworth (Hardware) Ltd carried on business as a supplier of hardware to builders and builders' merchants from February 1993 to May 1995 from Mr Ashworth's home address and was wound up by the Court on July 25, 1995 with an estimated deficiency of £16,000.

Toolish Things Ltd carried on business as a supplier of hardware to builders and builder's merchants from Mr Ashworth's home address and went into compulsory liquidation in March 1, 1997.

The Alfachem Group of companies: Alfachem (Pennine) Ltd, Alfachem (UK) Ltd, Havelock Service Garage Ltd and Direct Hardware Supplies Ltd all went into administrative receivership in March 1992. All but Havelock Service Garage traded as suppliers of hardware to builders and builders' merchants.

The Champion Group: Champion Hardware Ltd and Champion Glade Ltd both went into voluntary liquidation in December 1992. Champion Hardware Ltd traded as hardware suppliers.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.