The Registrar of Companies has been ordered by a court to re-insert the name of a company that had been struck off the register.

Failure to do so, the court said, could seriously prejudice the rights of the company's creditors.

Ronnie and Diane Grima sued Enemalta Corporation, White Brothers Ltd and Polidano Service Station and Plant Hire Limited for damages after Mr Grima suffered a permanent disability while at work in July 2002.

In July 2009, a court ordered White Brothers Ltd and Polidano Service Station and Plant Hire Ltd to pay the Grimas €124,528.30 in damages.

The judgment was appealed and the case was pending before the Court of Appeal.

However, Mr and Mrs Grima learnt that Polidano Service Station and Plant Hire Ltd have since been struck off the register of companies. The Grimas told the court this was prejudicial to their rights as creditors and they requested the court to order the registrar to reinsert this company’s name.

The registrar said that the company was struck off because it had failed to honour its legal obligations for many years.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Zammit McKeon ruled that the registrar had been justified in striking off the company but it was obvious that Mr and Mrs Grima had an interest in the company being listed in the register as they had a claim of more than €100,000 against it.