THE former boss of a computer games firm - who left more than 980 customers in the lurch - has been banned from trading for five years.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service showed Lisa Jane Bailey, 46. continued to take goods off customers at Gamexchangecouk Limited even when the outfit had become insolvent.

Bailey, of Claydon Drive, Radcliffe, was the sole director of the company, which once had several stores across the north west, at the time.

She has now given an undertaking not to be involved in the formation, promotion or management of a company until March 2026.

An Insolvency Service spokesman said when Gamexchangecouk Limited was already insolvent and unable to meets its liabilities, and was in default to customers, when her conduct from September 2017 to September 2018 came into question.

He added: "Lisa Jane Bailey caused or allowed Gamex to continue to seek and accept goods for sale from customers who would have had no reasonable likelihood of receiving the proceeds of sale of their goods.

"And at liquidation at least 981 such customers were unsecured creditors for sums totalling at least £53,017. According to the available information, at liquidation Gamex is calculated to have had a deficiency as regards creditors of at least £152,554."

Administrators records show that the company also owed more than £32,000 to HM Revenue and Customs and £9,564 to the Youth Action charity in Blackburn at the time of its liquidation in September 2018.

The original enterprise had shops in Bolton, Preston and Manchester city centre, which were closed when the venture first encounted difficulties in 2010. This left stores in Ashton, Blackburn, Stretford and Warrington.

One of the original founders of the firm, not connected with Bailey, took on the name and is trading separately.