Three family members, who together ran a Liverpool haulage company, have been disqualified from being directors of a company for a total of 23 years for failing to keep proper books and records, or to make tax payments.

John Postlethwaite, 69, was disqualified for nine years while John Anthony Postlethwaite, 49, and Lee Postlethwaite, 30, were both disqualified for seven years each following an investigation by the Insolvency Service (IS).

The three men ran Brasenose Container Services Ltd (BCS) which went into liquidation on 13 June 2011 with a deficiency to creditors of £157,352. They admitted to failing to keep proper books and records which meant the liquidator was unable to account for the company's assets, sales and receipts. In addition, bank payments of £1,701,939 (of which £834,071 was in cash) were unexplained with no evidence available that these funds were used on behalf of the company.

The trio also failed to pay HMRC £112,689 in overdue tax, and were charged with failing to abide by an undertaking given under the regulations for operating a company requiring a haulage licence which meant that John Postlethwaite should not have had any part in the running of BCS.

The IS investigation found that John Postlethwaite was the dominant force of the company throughout, which led to his higher period of disqualification.

Vicky Bagnall, IS director of investigation and enforcement services, said: 'These three directors displayed a total disregard for the rules regarding the running of a company and additionally those regarding the operation of a company requiring a haulage licence.'