DIRECTORS of Bournemouth debt collection firm Themis Investigations Ltd, which failed with £736,000 debts, have been banned from company directorship or management for four years.

Christopher James Bean, of East Avenue, Talbot Woods, Bournemouth, and Julie Ann Louise Sainsbury, of Huntingdon Gardens, Christchurch, gave disqualification undertakings to the Secretary of State last week.

Themis Investigations Ltd carried on business as a debt collection agency from Pine Court, Gervis Road, Bournemouth, and went into liquidation on May 17, 2000 with no assets, liabilities of £736,087 and an estimated deficiency of the same figure.

The disqualification undertakings were accepted by the Secretary of State on the basis of unfit conduct.

A number of issues over the pair's running of the firm were agreed with the Insolvency Service, an executive agency of The Department of Trade and Industry, including the following.

They allowed the company to trade to the detriment of creditors between October 1999 and April 2000, by failing to make provision for potential liabilities due as a result of the contract used by the company.

During the period October 1, 1999 to April 30, 2000 they allowed the company to incur additional liabilities of £332,223 when they knew the contract they were using was causing liabilities they couldn't settle.

Mr Bean and Ms Sainsbury admitted that they took on additional business when the company had no prospect of being able to do the work and take money in respect of these contracts. They also agreed that they caused or allowed the company to try to defer payment of contractually due refunds and requested funds from customers for specific purposes when there was no prospect of providing the services.

None of the unfit conduct was disputed by Mr Bean or Ms Sainsbury.