Alan Peterson is the sole director and person with significant control of Sage Media National Limited. 

The business was wound up in the public interest in November 2020.

The Insolvency Service has now disqualified Peterson from acting as a director for 11 years. 

The banning order stated that between January 2018 and November 2020 “Sage failed to provide services that had been paid for: Sage charged and received payments of at least £74,000 from clients for advertisements that it failed to publish in specified editions of a magazine or at all. 

“Sage invoiced clients for advertising services that they did not order. Sage claimed that clients had ongoing contracts (which they did not) and demanded further payments from these clients. Sage made false and/or misleading representations and engaged in objectionable sales practices.”

The probe found that between 16 February 2018 and 18 February 2019 at least £32,491 was withdrawn from Sage’s account by way of direct transfers to Peterson’s personal account, unexplained cash withdrawals and non-business expenditure. 

“Mr Peterson has failed to explain what these payments were for and/or has failed to provide documentary evidence to support his explanations. Mr Peterson declared one bank account held by Sage and has failed to account for payments with the description “transfer to Sage Media National Limited”.”

The Insolvency Service also said that Peterson had failed to produce any sales invoices issued by Sage. 

“The consecutive invoice numbering system and bank records suggest that more invoices were issued than were recorded on Sage’s VAT returns. Mr Peterson states that the missing sales invoices were either cancelled or not paid for so were not retained. Without documentary evidence The Official Receiver has been unable to contact the clients concerned or explain this disparity.”

Peterson’s banning order started yesterday (20 July). 

He was born in November 1962 and his last known address was Rosedale Road in Liverpool L18 5JD.