England and Liverpool legend John Barnes banned from being a company director

Former England and Liverpool footballer John Barnes has been banned from being a company director after his media firm failed to pay more than £190,000 in tax.

Mr Barnes, 60, has been banned from taking up the role for three-and-a-half years, after his company, John Barnes Media Limited, failed to pay any corporation tax and VAT for two years.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service into Mr Barnes' conduct as a director began in September 2023, just over three years after the company ceased trading in January 2020.

The investigation found that between November 2018 and October 2020, nothing was paid to HMRC in tax.

Barnes was the sole director of the company, based in West Byfleet, Surrey, which described itself as offering media representation services and ceased trading in January 2020.

The investigation showed that John Barnes Media failed to pay £78,839 in corporation tax between August 2018 and January 2020, when the company ceased trading.

The company also failed to pay £115,272 in VAT between February 2019 and 2020.

During this two year period John Barnes Media's turnover was £441,798.

But despite not paying any tax, the company still filed returns showing what the VAT payments should have been.

Mike Smith, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 'Individuals and businesses not paying the tax they should deprives the Government of the funding it needs to provide vital public services and investment in areas such as schools, hospitals and roads.

'John Barnes had a legal duty to ensure his company paid the correct amount of corporation tax and VAT.

'Instead, it paid no tax whatsoever between November 2018 and October 2020, despite receiving earnings of well over £400,000.

'This disqualification should serve as