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UB40 members declared bankrupt

Published Tuesday, Oct 18 2011, 22:54 BST | By Tom Eames | Add comment

Four original members of UB40 have been declared bankrupt by a judge at Birmingham County Court.

Saxophone player Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, trumpeter Terence Oswald and percussionist Norman Hassan had been facing bankruptcy since February after the failure of their record label DEP International and the band's split in 2008.

Robin Campbell was also facing financial issues with the other members, but his name was not listed by the judge.

The court order means that tax officers are able to seize property in order to pay off debts.

The group's original lead singer Ali Campbell's spokesperson said that it was the right decision for him to leave the band in 2008.

"It is ironic that the very week they celebrate their first gig they have been declared bankrupt, after administration began in 2006, vindicating both Ali and Mickey Virtue's decision to leave UB40," she said.

UB40 were named after the document given to people claiming unemployment benefit from the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) in the late 1970s.

Watch the video for UB40's 'Kingston Town' below: