Stories in the Manchester Evening News about two rogue companies have resulted in them being closed down by the Department of Trade.

The kitchen firms were operated from premises in Manchester, Bury and Rochdale and supplied kitchens across the country - leaving customers unhappy with shoddy workmanship.

The Evening News said that when customers got in touch with customer services, they were mocked and sworn at by staff.

It said more than 75 per cent of people who bought kitchens made a complaint, and an investigation by the paper showed that one of the directors had previously been jailed for assault and criminal damage.

The Evening News ran a three-page article about the company and its directors and passed the dossier of information onto the DTI, which in turn launched its own inquiry.

The department lodged a petition at the High Court, which agreed to wind up two companies involved "in the public interest".

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