Disqualified company directors Jonathan and Jamie Irving have been ordered to pay costs of more than £155,000 plus VAT to the island’s financial regulator.

But in a statement, Mr Irving senior (pictured below) claimed he and his son were being told to ’pay a very high price for the dubious privilege of being turned over by our own vindictive Manx government’.

In a judgment handed down in January, Deemster Aidan Christie QC said he had ’little option’ but to disqualify Mr Irving senior for a period of eight years and son Jamie for a period of seven years.

The disqualification relates to the Irvings’ Street Heritage Limited company, which was wound up by court order in February 2010 over non-payment of tax debts totalling £182,929.

Proceedings were brought by the island’s Financial Services Authority which said the Irvings had shown themselves unfit to serve as company directors.

The FSA identified seven areas of major concern - including allowing SHL to trade while insolvent.

Now in another judgment, Deemster Christie has ordered that the Irvings must pay the FSA’s costs of £155,659 plus VAT making a total sum of £184,377.

The regulator had sought an order for costs assessed on an indemnity basis, with an interim payment on account of £75,000 payable within 28 days and for interest to be payable on those costs.

Deemster Christie ruled that the Irvings are liable on a joint and several basis to pay the FSA’s costs, and ordered the £75,000 interim payment to be paid within the 28 days, and with interest payable at 4% a year.

Mr Irving said he and his son were paying a high price for raising concerns about the conduct of former Attorney General Stephen Harding, who was the government advocate at the Street Heritage winding up hearing.

Mr Harding was formally acquitted of perjury and perverting the course of justice in 2014 after juries in two criminal trials failed to deliver a verdict.

But Mr Irving said he and his son are appealing against the disqualification, describing it as a ’gross miscarriage of justice’.

He questioned why they were disqualified as directors of Street Heritage for not submitting annual returns and paying company tax on time when last year alone 3,100 companies were fined for late filing.

He said: ’Equally, why did the Sefton group receive a loan from the Manx taxpayer at this exact same time? They owed more tax and for a lot longer.

’We didn’t want any loans, just the government to complete on their agreed purchase of the land we were selling to them in Peel. That agreement included the deduction of all the outstanding tax at source and then forwarding to us the substantial balance.

’This selectiveness just proves whimsical government exists here which has now led to a further colossal waste of taxpayers’ money. This is to add to the millions wasted so far due to the previous government trying to cover up their own gross incompetence and then blaming others for it. But now the floodgates are open.’

Mr Irving said the latest judgment embraced the government’s ’trumped up allegations’.

And he added: ’We are appealing this blatant miscarriage if for no other reason than to try to prevent other Manx citizens from being roughed up by their own government as the mood grabs them. Something’s unfortunately rotten in the state of Mann and it must be corrected to ensure democracy applies to all and not just the chosen few.’