The boss of a Southend firm who cheated creditors out of about £500,000 wept as he was jailed for 15 months.

Darren Tilbury, 31, began cooking the books at Cobra Stationery Limited more than seven years ago, Basildon Crown Court heard.

But he lied and cheated and destroyed bundles of vital documents belonging to Cobra, a firm which no longer exists.

Tilbury was convicted by a jury following a 12-day trial. He had denied fraudulent trading and failing to preserve company records.

The defendant, married with four children, was alleged to have run up enormous debts and acted naively in running the business which had only himself as a director.

Tilbury was told by Judge Daniel Worsley: "When the balloon went up you deliberately got rid of the documents.

"As things went from bad to worse you hoped to escape financial disaster."

The judge said Tilbury, of Waterloo Road, Romford, had brought shame and stress on his young family.

He added: "Despite your untruthful evidence, you must be a wiser man now."

Tilbury was barred from becoming a director again for the next seven years. The judge said he could not order compensation to the creditors' cheated out of their money because the defendant is now without financial means.

Tilbury, prosecuted by the Department of Trade and Industry, wiped tears from his eyes as he was sentenced. He received a 12-month term for the fraudulent trading charge and three months for destroying the company records.

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