TWO directors of a second-hand plant dealership have agreed to be disqualified from acting as company directors.

Raymond Richard Ferguson, of Rosebay Court, Darlington, agreed to a two-and-a-half-year ban, while fellow director Alistair Forster, of Peterhouse Close, Northwood Park, Darlington, agreed to a five year ban in respect of their conduct as directors of Kerbside Plant Limited, of St Mary's Street, Pennistone, South Yorkshire.

The company went into liquidation with debts of £140,000 on March 16, 2000.

Matters of unfit conduct found against the pair were that they allowed Kerbside to operate a policy of non-payment of monies due to the Crown, totalling £49,753.

They also allowed Kerbside to under-declare amounts owing to Customs in respect of VAT, resulting in additional debts of £77,743 against Kerbside and liabilities to Crown Departments consequently increasing from £49,753 to £127,495.

The pair also failed to ensure that Kerbside maintained and delivered to the liquidator sufficient accounting records to enable him to carry out his functions, particularly to account for unexplained withdrawals from Kerbside's bank account totalling at least £50,000.