A director of Swansea-based call centre Help Direct UK has been disqualified for six years as the government are taking a hard stance against senders of spam.

Director Leighton John Power was disqualified following almost 7,000 complaints being made against the company for sending thousands of unsolicited text messages without the consent of the individuals.

The company was fined £200,000 by The Information Commissioner (ICO) in 2015, but the fine was not paid following Help Direct’s voluntary liquidation later that year. The company accumulated debts of £343,734 before their liquidation.

The disqualification by ICO aims to warn others and the ensure accountability of directors and bosses.

“This shows that company directors can not leave by the back door as my team is coming through the front door,” said Andy Curry, enforcement manager at the ICO. “It sends a clear message that the companies behind nuisance calls and texts will be held to account.”

The Government is expected to put more power in place to not just disqualify, but also fine directors in the future, something that can’t come soon enough for some specialists.

“These proposals should come into force as soon as possible to crack down on this modern menace,” explained Vickie Sheriff, director of campaigns and communications at Which?

“It’s right that tough action is being taken against directors whose companies pester people with unlawful nuisance calls and spam texts.”