A BURY-based company director who paid himself more than £150,000 despite not paying tax and going bust with a tax bill of nearly £250,000 has been banned from acting as a company director.

Richard Render was director of Total Care Consumer Solutions Ltd, which was registered at Hollins Mount, in Hollins Lane, which went bust in July 2012 owing at least £246,510 in corporation tax to HM Revenue and Customs.

Render, who traded as a claims and compensation consultant, was found to have paid himself £154,135 when he knew the company was insolvent.

Six payments totalling £98,000 were made between December 2011 and March 2012, with one payment of £30,000 marked as a bonus.

He cannot become a director of a company until December 2020 after a disqualification order was granted at Manchester County Court last week.

Render served as director from July 2006.

He failed to pay VAT from May 2009, did not provide Pay As You Earn or National Insurance Contributions since April 2010, and also did not file Corporation Tax returns from July 2007 until the firm went into liquidation.

In addition, the firm's accounts revealed that instead of paying his creditors, Render reduced his personal loan to the company from £30,515 in July 2009, to £2,500 in July 2012.

The firm went into creditors' voluntary liquidation in 2012, with assets of £5,476 and liabilities of £265,526.

The ruling comes after an investigation by the Insolvency Service, which looks into the affiars of companies which go into liquidation.

Robert Clarke, head of insolvent investigations north at the Insolvency Service, said: "Company directors have a duty to ensure businesses meet their legal obligations, including paying taxes and must not benefit themselves at the expense of creditors.

"Neglect of tax affairs is not a victimless action as it deprives the taxpayer of the funds needed to operate public services.

"The Insolvency Service will take action against directors who do not take their obligations seriously and abuse their position."