A headstone company director has been banned from managing a company after running up £170,000 debts.

Amanda Jane Buckfield was a director of Home Memorial Services Ltd, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey, which went into voluntary liquidation in February 2001 with estimated debts of £173,137.

Mrs Buckfield, of Poplar Avenue, Hove, agreed not to hold directorships or take part in any company management for eight years.

The agreement means she will be unable to become a company director, or take part in management of a company.

She was forced to make the undertaking after she was found to have retained deposits from customers totalling £69,460 for which no goods or services were provided.

She also allowed Allan Robert Wrigley to act as a director of Home Memorial between March 1997 and March 2000 while he was an undischarged bankrupt.

The Insolvency Service said Mrs Buckfield caused Home Memorial Services Ltd to trade to the detriment of creditors from November 1999 until its liquidation in February 2001 when she knew the company was insolvent and that she caused the company to incur further credit of at least £96,843.

Mrs Buckfield also received £16,020 from the insolvent company.

The Insolvency Service also found she failed to keep and deliver accounting records and failed to file company returns for periods ending February 2000 and February 2001.

She also failed to file VAT returns from March 2000 to February 2001.