The director of a book publishing company based in Kent has been disqualified from acting as a company director for four years after failure to pay tax, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service (IS).

John Twiggs was the director of Lettuce Design Ltd which provided administrative and production services to a group of three connected companies in the book publishing market for the 12 months between September 2009 and September 2010.

The IS investigation found that Lettuce Design deducted PAYE and NIC totalling £188,160 from its employees' salaries during the year concerned, but failed to pay any of this amount to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

All of the group's employees had been transferred to Lettuce Design following the collapse of a fourth company in the group. Lettuce Design Ltd went into creditors' voluntary liquidation on 9 December 2010 owing £430,999 to its creditors, including HMRC.

Twiggs, has given an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, that he will not act as a director of a limited company from 3 January 2013 to 2017.

David Brooks, a chief examiner with the IS said: 'This disqualification should serve as a reminder that the Insolvency Service will investigate unacceptable conduct by company directors, including failure to pay tax.'