A Canterbury student who applied for a place on BBC show The Apprentice has been told by a judge: "You're fired... from being a director!"

Young entrepreneur Max Tappenden – who ran eight companies – ripped off taxpayers in a £12,000 VAT fraud.

And astonishingly, Tappenden – who was studying web design in the city – even revealed his fraud plans in his application to the hit reality show, fronted by tycoon Lord Sugar.

The 24-year-old director of a company called Tealbury Limited was asked by the programme makers: "Describe something you would do if you knew you would not get caught."

He replied: "I would commit a VAT fraud!"

And at the same time he sent his bid to get on the show, he was carrying out the deception - using the proposed sale of a £68,000 Toyota Land Cruiser, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Tappenden had refused to hand over a down payment for the vehicle - but requested an invoice form, which he then submitted to Customs and demanded an £11,125 VAT return.

The former student – who has since been kicked off his university course - then cancelled the garage deal, but pocketed the VAT rebate.

Now a judge had banned him from being a company director or running a company for the next five years.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly said: "He was a director of a limited company which was registered for VAT in April last year.

"In July he contacted a car dealership in Milton Keynes expressing an interesting in purchasing a Toyota.

"He twice tested the vehicle and expressed a desire to buy it at its full list price, which the salesman found surprising."

In October last year, HM Revenue and Customs officers contacted the student by email and asked where the vehicle was being stored and was told at a "car park at Canterbury Innovation Centre".

But in December a suspicious official checked with the garage and discovered the fraud and Tappenden was arrested.

Inside his Canterbury university room, officers then found an application form for The Apprentice in which he had outlined his fraud plan.

Mr Connolly added Tappenden, who suffered from hearing difficulties, told the programme makers "he would feel no regret".

He said he would then use the money from the fraud as "start up" cash for his entrepreneurial plans.

But his barrister Piers Mostyn said Tappenden had lived in a "fantasy" world - and his dreams now lay in tatters because of the fraud.

"He has made a fairly stupid mistake," he said. "He was out of his depth and dug himself deeper and deeper into the situation he was in. He has now lost his university course and owes a huge amount of money.

"This was a foolish enterprise. There is an element of fantasy. The reference to the Apprentice programme is a tragic element to this."

Tappenden, who is said to have blown all the defrauded cash, has told his barrister he has now scrapped any desire "to embark on a career as a start-up entrepreneur".

He is on a DWP-funded training course on software development after having "a harsh learning experience" and is planning his future in a "more sober and realistic fashion", his lawyer added.

Tappended was ordered to pay £1,200 costs and do 150 hours of unpaid work for the community. He admitted the fraud.

He will also have to remain at his Milton Keynes home between 8pm and 6am for the next three months as a punishment and wear an electronic tag.

Judge Simon James told him: "On one hand, during the time of this incident you professed to being a successful entrepreneur.

"On the other hand, you claim your involvement in this offence was caused by your inexperience with financial matters.

"The plain and simple truth is you have been dishonest. You were motivated by greed and thought of no one else but yourself.

"You took money you were not entitled to and are now shackled with a conviction for tax evasion, which is likely to make gaining employment within the legitimate business sector virtually impossible."

Stories you might have missed

Thieves swipe Virgin Mary statue from church on Remembrance Sunday

Man dies after being hit by car

Star leads prayers for the Philippines

Woman fighting for life after hit and run