The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has refused to issue a consumer credit licence to Michael Oldham, a Manchester computer dealer who trades as Gladeside Computer Services, PC Service Centre and PC Posta Part.

An OFT adjudicator ruled that Oldham had failed to declare a string of convictions "including numerous counts of burglary, robbery, theft of vehicles and drugs offences".

By supplying false information to the OFT when applying for a consumer credit licence, Oldham had contravened the Consumer Credit Act of 1974.

Christine Wade, OFT Director of Consumer Regulation Enforcement, said: "This action protects Manchester consumers from an unfit trader. It is a serious offence to give false or misleading information on an application for a consumer credit licence, and a trader with a string of convictions of this nature is not considered fit to offer credit to consumers." ®