A director of a construction firm has been disqualified from acting as a director for five years after causing the company to make payments to the detriment of specific creditors…

Mark Hulbert, 52, was the director of Hulbert Homes Limited, based at 12 Chestnut Avenue, Wokingham, which went into administration in April 2012 owing £1,098,091 to its unsecured creditors with no unsecured assets available.

However, the Insolvency Service found that between June 2011 and April 2012, Mr Hulbert made several payments totalling £42,664 to his own benefit, including £17,734 to an auction house.

Two trade creditors had obtained County Court Judgements prior to June 2011 and the company was advised by its accountants that it was insolvent.

Despite this, Mr Hulbert made the payments whilst allowing a further nine judgement creditors, totalling £74,364, to go unpaid.

Mark Bruce, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said the director in Hulbert failed to act in the best interests of the company and its creditors.

“The Insolvency Service will always look to remove from the business community those directors who act below the standards that should be expected of them given the circumstances of their company’s trading,” said Mark.