A bankrupt landlord has been handed a suspended sentence after he “took advantage” of a taxpayer-backed Covid loan scheme by applying for tens of thousands of pounds – despite his pub closing before the pandemic.
Gary Wright, 46, was given a £25,000 bounce-back loan on behalf of his Talbot Ale House in St Helens, Merseyside, in June 2020.
The bounce-back scheme was introduced to help small businesses through the pandemic by allowing applicants to borrow up to £50,000 at a low interest rate.
But Wright’s pub closed down in September 2019, six months…
