The director of a failed Lapland-style theme park has been disqualified from acting as a director for 10 years for failing to maintain, preserve or deliver adequate accounting records, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service (IS).

Victor Mears was the director of Lapland New Forest Ltd which traded from Matchams Leisure Park in the New Forest. The company had started ticket sales for its range of Lapland-style attractions in September 2008. The park opened to visitors on 29 November 2008 and closed less than a week later after adverse publicity surrounding customer complaints about its sub-standard facilities and offering.

Lapland New Forest Ltd went into voluntary liquidation in February 2009. A subsequent investigation by the IS found that between 3 September 2008 and 22 December 2008, £1,283,056 was received into the company bank account and £1,284,309 was paid out.

However, Mears failed to provide adequate books and records to properly account for expenditure of £222,955 from the bank account. Much of this money was drawn from the bank account in cash amounts of £10,000, £15,000 and £20,000.

Under cross examination at trial at Brighton County Court Mears explained that the majority of this cash was then paid to an individual linked to the landlord of the park but that he did not obtain any receipts nor did he keep any contemporaneous record of the dates or amounts of such payments. He was disqualified from acting as a director of a limited company for 10 years until July 2023.

Mark Bruce, a chief examiner at the IS who gave evidence at the trial, said: 'Directors of companies must maintain sufficient accounting records that show and explain the company's transactions. Mr Mears failed to do this and the volume of unexplained cash expenditure in such a short trading lifetime was highly suspicious. It required explanation supported by proof which Mr Mears was unable to provide.'