A business boss caused her firm to receive in excess of £16,000 more than it was entitled to after she "overstated" the firm's turnover in a Covid support scheme.

In May, 2020, Amy Shishler, whose last known address was St Johns Gardens in Bury, caused her retail company Precious and Posh Ltd to make a bounce back loan (BBL) application of £20,000.

In a report, government agency The Insolvency Service said she did this "when she knew, or ought to have known, that the company turnover did not support such an application".

The 39-year-old from South Africa "made a wrongful declaration by overstating the company’s turnover", and as a result the company received £16,156 more BBL funds than it was entitled, the report said.

Under the BBL scheme during the pandemic, businesses could apply for a loan of between £2,000 and £50,000 subject to a maximum of up to 25 per cent of turnover for the calendar year of 2019.

The turnover figure was self-certified by the applicant.

When Miss Shishler applied for the £20,000 BBL on behalf of Precious and Posh on May 4, 2020, she recorded that its turnover for the calendar year of 2019 was £80,000.

And the business, which was incorporated on July 31, 2017, received the BBL funds of £20,000 three days later on May 7, 2020.

However, a probe by The Insolvency Service discovered that the main company bank account showed that, from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, receipts totalled £15,375, significantly less the declared turnover of £80,000.

Therefore the company had only been entitled to a maximum BBL of £3,844, £16,156 less than the £20,000 it had been given.

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The total liabilities at the time of the firm's liquidation amounted to £56,396 including £20,000 relating to the amount owed in respect of the BBL.

A Companies House file shows the business was dissolved on January 14 this year.

Following the investigation, Miss Shishler has been disqualified from being a company director for 10 years with the ban coming into place on November 7.