A FORMER recruitment specialist from Trafford who ignored a director disqualification order has been banned for a second time.

Simon Wooding, 52, first fell foul of the Insolvency Service when one of his former firms, AMS Search and Selection, failed to meet its obligations to the taxman.

This resulted in Wooding, then from Dumaston Avenue, Timperley, being given a three-and-a-half year company director disqualification in May 2016.

But an inquiry by the Insolvency Service found that while the businessman claimed to have resigned from another firm, Avante Recruitment, the following November, he was still acting as a director when the Manchester-based outfit was liquidated in September 2017.

In the latter case Avante, which specialised in recruiting candidates for finance, accountancy and insolvency roles, also had several run-ins with HM Revenue and Customs, from mid-2016 onwards.

This saw them also fail to file tax returns on time, according to investigators.

An undertaking has now been agreed by Wooding that he should be disqualified from being a company director for nine years.

Another investigation by the same agency, into his wife Julie Ann Wooding also from Altrincham, has also resulted in a ban for her.

The 60-year-old also accepted that she had caused Avante to trade without paying appropriate taxes.

Anthea Simpson, the Insolvency Service’s chief investigator, said: “The Insolvency Service has turned the spotlight on a disqualified director who thought he could flout his ban by operating in the shadows.

“Company directors should be under no illusion that it is a criminal offence to act in the management of a company whilst banned, and we will investigate those who choose to ignore this warning.”

Avante, which traded from offices in King Street, Manchester, was wound up in September 2017, on the petition of HM Revenue and Customs.

AMS Search, which operated from different city centre premises in Chancery Place, off Brown Street, went under in May 2016, with unsecured creditors claims on £252,000.

Wooding has also previously been a director of SACW Consulting, which was dissolved in November 2016.

Another of his firms, Ringway Recruitment, was incorporated in December 2008 and survived until October 2013, when it was liquidated and all assets and goodwill reportedly sold on to AMS Search and Selection.