FURTHER investigations are to be made into a disgraced Huddersfield company.

And that could result in criminal proceedings against those involved with Reband UK.

The company – which offered to win council tax rebates for clients – was wound up on Monday by a judge.

Government officials had insisted the action was needed “in the public good”.

Their investigations revealed that in just six months, the company run by Jack Darrell Henry had taken in more than £200,000 from 1,167 clients – but had won rebates for just seven of those.

Yesterday, the firm’s offices in Fitzwilliam Street, Huddersfield, remained locked up and no-one answered phones.

Previous inquiries by consumer watchdogs have established that Henry had amassed more than 7,000 clients, many of them elderly people in Huddersfield, who paid an upfront fee of about £175. Monday’s case in the High Court in Manchester heard that Henry, who ran the business from rented offices in Fitzwilliam Street, was a disqualified director.

A spokesman for the Government’s Insolvency Service said: “When we wind up a company, we investigate the conduct of the directors in relation to the company.

“Creditors should lodge claims with the Official Receiver. One of his duties is to collect all the assets and pay all creditors. The Receiver will also decide whether to call a meeting of creditors.

“If a disqualified director breaches his disqualification order, which is an order made by a court of law, he has committed a criminal offence.

“We investigate limited companies and do not investigate sole proprietorships. However, we do not discuss whether we are investigating a company or not due to the confidential nature of such investigations.”

Mr Henry, who has been convicted for breaching trading regulations, has also faced two tribunals which ordered him to pay tens of thousands of pounds to former staff who had not been paid.

Most are still waiting for their money.

It is thought that many of the thousands of people who have paid out money to the company will also not get any cash back.

Insolvency experts believe that most people will be classed as small creditors and would be paid out after major creditors had been settled.

Kirklees Council has reiterated that no-one need go to a private company to query their council tax band.

A spokesman said: “Council tax payers can query their council tax band themselves for free.

“The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for assigning each home a valuation band between ‘A’ and ‘H’, with ‘A’ being the lowest. The council then uses this information in council tax calculations.

“People can make a ‘formal proposal’ against the valuation band of their home, though it should be stressed that there’s no guarantee of a challenge resulting in a reduction.

“Where tax payers have genuine concerns that their home might be in the wrong band, they should contact the VOA and ask for the banding to be reviewed.”

Contact the VOA on 03000 501 501 for more details about when a challenge can be made and how to go about it.

Information and support about challenging a band can also be found at:www.direct.gov.uk