A North Yorkshire businessman has been banned from being a company director for eight years after he was involved in the running of three companies in succession that collapsed with debts totalling £1,428,000.

John Robert Duncan Gill, of Red House Lane, Moor Monkton near York, was director of Nat Cer Limited, which traded from 1978 to 1994, Formhorse Ltd which operated from March 1994 to September 1995 and Infist Ltd, which traded from September 1995 to January 1997.

All three companies imported and supplied ceramic tiles and Nat Cer Ltd also traded in bathrooms.

The earliest company went into administrative receivership on 16 February 1994 owing the Crown £176,000 and trade creditors £576,000.

On 3 October 1995, Formhorse Ltd went into voluntary liquidation with debts of £462,073 and on 31 January 1997 Infist Ltd, of Adam House, Ripon Way, Harrogate also went into voluntary liquidation, with debts estimated at £214,000.

A fellow director of Infist Ltd, David Alan Bowman, of Alne near Easingwold, was disqualified from acting as a director for five years.

Leeds County Court made the bans after declaring all three companies operated the same trade in the same pattern to the detriment of their creditors and that the two men allowed or caused Infist Ltd to trade for six months when there was no reasonable prospect of it paying its debts.

They also failed to ensure Infist Ltd kept proper financial records.

The ban means neither man can be a company director or been concerned in the management, promotion or formation of any company.