Bid to wind up Southend dismissed by judge

A judge has dismissed a bid to wind up League One strugglers Southend.

HM Revenue & Customs officials had said tax was owed and asked for the football club to be wound up.

But Judge Sebastian Prentis dismissed their application on Wednesday at a hearing in the specialist Insolvency and Companies Court in London.

A lawyer representing tax officials told the judge that the debt had been cleared.

In December, another judge had said Southend bosses should get time to pay.

Detail of how much had been owed by Southend – who are 12 points adrift of safety in the League One relegation zone and managed by former England defender Sol Campbell – did not emerge at the hearing.