The former owners of an award-winning travel agents in the county have been sentenced to jail for contempt of court.

Manchester-based private equity firm Inc & Co acquired Baldwins Travel - which has outlets in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Cranbrook, Tenterden and Westerham - in 2021 as it struggled post-pandemic following travel restrictions.

It joined a host of other brands acquired by Inc & Co which had been established in 2019.

But now the former CEO of Inc & Co, Jack Mason, and its director David Antrobus, along with Scott Dylan. who describes himself as a co-founder - have all been sentenced to 22 months imprisonment after a ruling at the High Court in London.

Baldwins Travel bosses insist all three no longer have any involvement in the company - founded more than 120 years ago - that it is now under the ownership of a firm based in the US and that it remains “business as usual”.

It is related to an initial civil case brought by Barclays Bank in November 2021 - shortly after the Baldwins take-over - against the businessmen over claims of “an unlawful conspiracy” to make unauthorised borrowing of more than £13.7 million, from Barclays, through companies owned by the group.

Freezing orders were obtained which effectively prohibited any moving or transferring of assets up to the value Barclays was claiming.

However, in March 2022, the High Court says, “virtually an entire group of approximately 60 companies ultimately owned and controlled by Scott Dylan, David Antrobus, Jack Mason was transferred to two companies in the British Virgin Islands, without notice to Barclays Bank”.

In July of this year, during the trial, Scott Dylan admitted he had breached the freezing order.

After the conclusion of the nine-day hearing at the High Court, the judge found the transfer of the group of companies out of the jurisdiction had been a joint enterprise by all three respondents and that David Antrobus and Jack Mason had also breached the freezing orders. Both had resigned as directors of Inc & Co, according to Companies House, earlier this year.

Appearing for sentencing at the High Court last week, Scott Dylan was taken into custody for contempt of court. His two associates did not attend court and warrants for their arrest and imprisonment were issued.

The hearing over the unauthorised borrowing charge is due to be heard early next year.

Baldwins Travel Agency is now owned by Worldwide Travel Holdings, a tour operator based in Delaware in the US.

Nick Marks, who previously owned Baldwins Travel before selling it to Inc & Co and continues as its managing director, said: “We have completely dissociated ourselves from those in this case. They have nothing to do with us.

“We are owned by a company in the US, in Delaware now. We have nothing to do Inc & Co or any company based in the British Virgin Islands.

“We are currently National High Street Travel Agency of the Year as well as Travel Agency of the Year for London and the South – East for the last 14 years.

“We have put our previous connection with Inc & Co behind us. It is business as usual. Being a truly independent travel agency we can offer the choice and advice that our clients need and want.”