The Charity Commission has launched an inquiry into the running of an anti-poverty charity that has failed to submit any accounting information since launching five years ago.

A lack of trustees is another concern the regulator has into the running of Blackpool’s Voice, which provides clothes, food and support to people living in poverty in the Lancashire seaside town.

Despite the regulator “repeatedly” contacting the charity to offer advice and guidance around its financial reporting and governance “the trustees have failed to take action”.

“As a result of these ongoing failures the regulator has now escalated its engagement to a statutory inquiry,” it added.

Being looked at is the trustees’ compliance with their legal obligations and whether it has a sufficient number of “willing and capable trustees”.

Management of conflicts of interest will also be looked at, as well as trustees’ compliance with previously issued advice.

According to the charities register the charity has just two trustees, Kimberley Sian Wyke, who has been a board member for the last three years, and its chair Susan Jane Davies, who has been in post for five years.

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