Retired businessman Jonathan Irving and his son Jamie say they will be appealing against their disqualification as directors.

In a judgment handed down last week, Mr Irving senior was declared unfit to act as company director and disqualified for a period of eight years. His son Jamie was disqualified for seven years.

But Mr Irving told the Examiner: ’These are actions of an unfair and unjust government.

’This judgment is purely a procedural slam-dunk and a shallow victory for the government. It just serves to undermine confidence in the judicial process.

’We certainly did nothing wrong and did everything we could to protect the creditors by even going into personal debt. We will be appealing this erroneous judgment and this time we will have legal representation and try to reverse this miscarriage of justice.’

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 of £182,929.

Proceedings were brought by the Financial Services Authority which identified seven areas of major concern - including allowing SHL to trade while insolvent.

In his judgment, the Deemster said: ’I have no doubt at all that SHL was insolvent for at least two years prior to the date of its winding-up.

’The defendants knew that but continued to trade nonetheless.’

The Irvings denied all allegations and insisted they had acted entirely properly throughout.

But Deemster Christie said Mr Irving senior regarded SHL and related companies as ’part of his personal empire around which he was permitted to move assets as it suited him without regard to the interests of the individual companies, much less the creditors of any of them’.

He said: ’Whether or not he understood any principles of corporate governance or management, he woefully failed to implement any of them. SHL was run on a chaotic, hand-to-mouth, basis.’

The Deemster said of Mr Irving senior: ’In some cases his conduct could be attributed to incompetence, albeit serious incompetence, but in other areas his conduct demonstrated a lack of probity.’

But Mr Irving said the Deemster had not taken into account the dire economic conditions that prevailed at the time.

He said: ’I successfully ran my own Manx businesses for over 30 years, employing many people and paid my taxes. We organised and paid for many Manx events.’

Mr Irving blamed the actions on others involved in SHL’s winding up. He said the judgment was at odds with others that found in his favour.