The group, which last year tried unsuccessfully to buy a UK web printer, placed adverts from July 2000.

Nicholas Humes, the groups chief executive at the time, is still listed as principal shareholder and director but told PrintWeek he had resigned his directorship in early 2000. The firm is now known as Midland Associate 1999 plc, and has had County Court Judgements totalling 5,516 registered against it in the last 12 months.

Humes is now fronting a firm called Midlands Publishing Holdings Ltd, which was incorporated on 14 December 2001, although he resigned as a director on 20 March. In June it lost out in its bid for Beshara Press, which had been a target of Midlands Publishing Group, but last month it succeeded in buying Birmingham-based packaging printer Newey Print.