A HAMPSHIRE couple who ran an online ticket agency that collapsed with debts of more than £4m have been barred from being company directors for ten years.

Mohammed Rashid Qajar and Sally Oakley, directors of Secureticket (UK) Limited sold tickets for the 2007 and 2008 Cambridge Folk Festival but failed to hand over £618,000 to Cambridge City Council.

An Insolvency Service investigation was carried out after Secureticket (UK) Ltd entered voluntary liquidation in January 2009, owing more than £4.5m.

Secureticket failed to keep the funds it received from ticket sales in a protected client account. The council later wrote off the debt.

Mr Qajar, 47, and Ms Oakley, 49, of Sutton Park Road, Sutton Scotney, were due to defend themselves at a trial, but agreed on the court steps not to act as directors for ten years from December 13.