West Ham co-owner David Sullivan in new controversy after court rules he used club to avoid £700,000 tax bill

  • West Ham co-owner David Sullivan adjudged to have illegally avoided tax
  • The 69-year-old has been ordered to repay £700,000 but can appeal the ruling
  • Sullivan has faced criticism from West Ham fans as they struggle in the league 

West Ham have suffered further distractions off the field following the news that co-owner David Sullivan avoided paying £700,000 in taxes through the Premier League club.

The 69-year-old has been told to repay the sum,The Times reported, and it comes at a time when Sullivan was already hitting headlines for wrong reasons.

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The West Ham chief, who it is understood intends to appeal the ruling, was hit in the face by a coin amid angry protests at the London Stadium as the relegation-threatened club lost 3-0 to Burnley.

West Ham chief David Sullivan has been ordered to repay £700,000 in tax after a court ruling

Supporters are unhappy at what they feel have been 'false promises' from those in charge of the Hammers, while their new home in Stratford continues to cause problems.

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Sullivan in particular has taken most of the frustration from fans but he is still set to attend their Premier League relegation six-pointer against Southampton this Saturday.

Yet this speculation over tax avoidance has come at an inconvenient time.

Sullivan has been subjected to abuse and criticism from West Ham fans at recent matches

It appears there have been issues with the way Sullivan used his company Conegate Ltd to purchase £2million in West Ham shares in 2010.

The first-tier tax tribunal heard that on the same day, they were then sold back to the club for £1, diminishing Conegate's tax bill.

Sportsmail has contacted West Ham for comment but is yet to receive a response.