A SEAFRONT entrepreneur banned from running limited companies after racking up debts of £460,000 has been allowed to become a director less than three months later.

John Alfred Remblance, 44, who has amusement arcades Electric Avenue, Monte Carlo and Stardust, in Marine Parade, Southend, was banned at Southend County Court from being a director of any limited companies for two years, six months.

The court has heard an application for him to be reinstated as director of his main business Star Amusements Limited, which owns the arcades and others in Canvey, Corringham, Brentwood and Rayleigh.

The court heard as the designated gambling licence holder for the firm, he had continued to act as manager. This left him at risk of being considered by the authorities an illegal “shadow director” running it from behind the scenes.

Mark Watson-Gandy, for Mr Remblance, said: “He is required to supervise and manage licence operations and unless permission is sought it could be assumed he was a de-facto director.”

The ban remains in force for any other companies and he cannot set up new ones during the period.

Mr Remblance, who gives his address as a flat in Marine Parade, was banned in May over his conduct running a subsidiary firm, Star Amusements (2010) Limited, which traded for just 11 months from March 2010.

During that period, no VAT was paid, leaving £151,000 due to the tax man. A further £106,000 was not paid in business rates to local authorities across south Essex, with the rest owed to other creditors.

While it operated, £696,387 was paid out of its bank account, including £419,714 through cheques, many of which were drawn as cash. However, the court heard he had been a director of main firm Star Amusements since it was set up in 1995 and that firm was up to date with VAT and profitable.

Deputy district judge Fiona Scolder allowed the application ,which was not opposed by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, despite it securing the original ban. She said the public would be protected from any wrongdoing by conditions she imposed, including the appointment of a part-time finance director and regular financial reports being made to creditors.