A HEREFORDSHIRE man has been banned as a company director after his firm sold “defective” farm machinery to customers.

Purple Bug Sales Limited (PBSL), a Ledbury-based company that was owned by William John Preston, sold agricultural machines, equipment and supplies.

In 2019, 16 customers had received products that were “defective” or “not as advertised”, at a total value of £114,845.

Mr Preston, 33, had also failed to ensure that adequate accounting records were available.

On November 9 this year, the Insolvency Service disqualified Mr Preston, of Wyndbrook Lane in Redmarley, as a company director for eight years.

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The service said: “Mr Preston failed to ensure PBSL maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records from November 21, 2018, to the date of liquidation on April 15, 2020, or in the alternative, following liquidation he failed to deliver up such records as were maintained and preserved.

“In the absence of adequate records, it has not been possible to verify why the customers received defective goods or items that weren’t those advertised.”

Because of the lack of records, the service was also unable to determine sales made, purchases made, outstanding debts, assets owned and sold, and the extent of HMRC liabilities. It also said it was impossible to verify whether a company owned by Mr Preston had bought assets from PBSL.

According to Companies House, PBSL is now dissolved.