TIME has run out for several companies from Warrington that are under investigation.

The Department of Trade and Industry has filed bankruptcy petitions against five of them after speaking to dozens of investors.

The DTI made the application against First For Fragrance and four other businesses in the High Court in Manchester on Friday.

The bankruptcy petition hearings, which are the first official action taken by the DTI, will be in May and could be the end for the firms.

The Warrington Guardian first reported how the DTI was investigating last autumn.

The various firms were involved in selling stock and franchises for perfume vending machines.

First For Fragrance started life as First Install South and was run from the Cadishead office of Thelwall man Malcolm Hague.

Investors understood him to be the owner, and his next door neighbour on Stockport Road, Mike Anderson, did sales work.

The company was then sold on to Bryn Morgan, from Wales, who is now understood to live in Leigh.

It recently abandoned its offices in Leigh, leaving behind hundreds of pounds in unpaid rent.

The trail of debts it has left behind includes £5,000 to Star Perfumes and £2,700 to St James Court offices in Wilderspool Causeway.

Several franchisees have also started legal action.

The five companies subject to the application are First Install (South) Limited, Chanaz Limited (formerly First for Fragrance), Fragrance International Supplies Limited, Vendible Solutions Limited and Franchise Consultants Limited, which was based at Crab Lane, in Fearnhead.

The DTI also successfully applied for the appointment of provisional liquidators in respect of two of the companies at the same hearing - First Install (South) Ltd and Chanaz Limited.