A London silk who was jailed for a £600,000 VAT fraud has been disbarred by the Bar Disciplinary Tribunal.

Rohan Pershad QC, who practised from 39 Essex Street, was jailed for three and a half years in 2013 after he was convicted of cheating the public revenue between 1 June 1999 and 24 September 2011.

He failed to pay to HM Revenue & Customs VAT charged on payments on services he provided while practising as a barrister.

The tribunal voted unanimously to disbar Pershad yesterday, noting the serious nature of the offence and the need to uphold public confidence in the profession.

Sara Jagger, director of professional conduct for the Bar Standards Board, said: ‘Our role as a regulator is to act in the public interest and provide a safeguard against risk.

‘The public have a right to expect members of the bar to be honest and act with integrity. Mr Pershad failed to do this and the order reflects the seriousness of the actions and upholds confidence in the profession.’