A businessman fleeced cash from unsuspecting Bradford customers who wanted to buy dream kitchens for their homes.

Akhter Ahmed Sheikh, director of kitchen design company Dream Interiors UK, took deposits from home-owners who wanted to spruce up their kitchens.

But in scores of cases customers endured a nightmare as Sheikh failed to install kitchens that had been paid for, leaving customers out of pocket.

Now the conman - who had debts of £100,000 - has been banned from acting as a company director for seven years.

He had showrooms in Manningham Lane, Bradford, and Leeds.

The company was closed down in November 2004 after more than 60 complaints to West Yorkshire Trading Standards.

Mr Sheikh, of Huddersfield, was disqualified following an investigation by the DTI's Companies Investigation Branch, who used tough new powers to probe his business activities.

He admitted:

l Allowing the company to accept customer deposits when he knew, or should have known, the company was in financial difficulty.

l Falling into arrears on rent because the firm did not have enough capital.

l Borrowing money which it was unable to repay.

l Being unable to fulfil customer orders for which deposits had already been taken.

Mr Sheikh also failed to keep accurate company accounts, meaning he could not explain its transactions or establish its financial position at any time.

It was one of the first investigations undertaken after new powers came into force in April 2005.

The powers allowed investigators to seize documents and information from people other than the company and its staff.

This meant the DTI could prosecute using documents obtained from customers who had been Sheikh's victims.