The owners of a Borth zoo have appeared before a High Court judge over a £75,000 tax bill.

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, owned for the past three years by Tracy and Dean Tweedy, owes £75,000 to the taxman, the High Court’s Insolvency and Companies Court in London heard yesterday.

HM Revenue & Customs is seeking to compulsorily wind up Borth Wild Animal Kingdom Ltd over the debt but Judge Clive Jones granted the company’s plea for an adjournment.

The company’s barrister told the court that it was investigating whether it was able to claim research and development tax relief and if so that would result in a sum of £85,000 owed to it by HMRC.

“The petition debt is £75,000, so it will allow it to pay the debt,” he said.

Judge Jones said he was concerned about what would happen to the animals in the event of the company being wound up.

He said: “It’s different from a care home but it’s the same principle, things are alive.

"I would be very worried in making a winding up order unless there’s some investigation into how the animals will be moved.”

He pointed out that despite the possibility of R&D tax relief, “the debt is owed now”.

However, he adjourned the hearing until 22 April to allow for discussions, adding it would be “helpful” to consider an appropriate way to deal with the animals.