Ban on boxing promoter holding directorships

The boxing promoter Frank Warren was yesterday banned by the High Court from holding company directorships for seven years.

Mr Warren accepted that seven years was the appropriate period of disqualification in the case, which was brought by the Official Receiver, making a full court hearing unnecessary.

The proceedings concerned 29 companies of which Mr Warren was director, nine of which went into compulsory liquidation in 1990 and 1991.

A number of the companies, including Arena Developments (Europe), were involved in the development of the London Arena, the entertainment venue in Docklands.

A statement of agreed facts read out by Mr Justice Blackburne included: failure to comply with the requirements of the Companies Act as to the filing of annual returns and accounts; failure to maintain and preserve accounting records; defaults in the submission of VAT returns; trading while insolvent in the case of the main company, Arena Developments.

The ban is unlikely to affect Mr Warren's business dealings as he now holds no directorships. His spokesman said Mr Warren, while accepting that technically he was in default, had decided to "carry the can" for the professional advisers he had appointed to take care of his businesses but who had "let him down".

The spokesman added: "Mr Warren has a number of high profile boxing promotions coming up and decided to make these the priority and accept a ban, because he simply doesn't have the time to devote to this case."

Proceedings had also been brought against John Botros and Melvyn Hague, former directors of some of the companies in the case. Mr Hague was disqualified for three years in July 1993 and Mr Botros for six years in November 1995.