ONE of the county's top business leaders claims he is the victim of "corporate murder" after being forced out of the company he founded.

Cliff Hardcastle, a frequent speaker at business events in Medway, is due to be the next chairman of Kent's Institute of Directors, taking over from television presenter and businesswoman Jill Cochrane. He is a former chairman of the CBI south east regional council.

He was executive chairman of hi-tech firm Densitron Technologies until he was dramatically voted off the board while on holiday in Hong Kong.

Since returning to this country, he has not been to his office and telephone callers are told that Mr Hardcastle is "no longer with the company".

Densitron, a £40 million turnover company based in Biggin Hill, has seen its share price fall in recent years. Shareholders are understood to have wanted change at the top and directors decided to get rid of Mr Hardcastle, who founded the company in 1972 with £3,000 and now owns around 25 per cent of the company.

Mr Hardcastle, 68, admitted that the company had had a "torrid" time but was recovering. He had made ethical practice a key company objective, but what had happened to him gave business a bad name.

"It's a piece of corporate murder that is amongst the worst I've ever seen," he said.

"This is the sort of stuff I detested when I was in big companies. I set up Densitron to be different. I always treat people with respect and I've just been treated like a bit of dirt by people I recruited and trained."

"Despite 30 years of trying to persuade people to behave honourably and sensibly, it's plain that, come the day, it doesn't matter."

Mr Hardcastle said he was taking professional advice and did not rule out retaking control of the company.

A statement issued by Densitron to the Stock Exchange made no mention of Mr Hardcastle's contribution.

It announced the appointments of David McQuiggan as chief executive and Crawford Gray as non-executive chairman, adding: "At the same time, Cliff Hardcastle has ceased to be executive chairman and director."