Two Manx businessmen have been barred from being directors, and there is a warning the public needs to be protected from them.

Quentin George Alexander Canty and John Bannister failed to appear to answer the petition and submissions brought by the Financial Supervision Commission.

In his judgement Deemster David Doyle said the two had been given many opportunities to constructively participate in the proceedings but had declined to do so.

He said they had shown themselves to be incompetent, irresponsible and unfit.

'There was a serious failure to exercise proper control of the affairs of the companies they were involved in', he added, and they had 'abused their positions within the corporate sector of the Isle of Man'. Deemster Doyle said the public needed to be protected from them, and a clear deterrent message needed to go out.

Mr Canty is barred for seven years and Mr Bannister for eight.

(Picture: Deemsters' Walk, leading to Douglas Courthouse).