Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte has had his bankruptcy order over multi-million pound debts lifted.

Mr Whyte, 45, was made bankrupt at the High Court in London last year over a debt of more than £20 million owed to ticketing firm Ticketus.

Records from the Insolvency Service show Mr Whyte was discharged from his bankruptcy on October 29 after co-operating with his trustee. The discharge means restrictions on his ability to apply for credit have been lifted. 

However, he cannot act as the director of a company and the process of recovering money owed to creditors could go on for several years. Mr Whyte described himself to his trustee as “unemployed” and his address was recorded as “unknown”.

Louise Brittain, one of Britain’s leading bankruptcy experts, was appointed as the trustee to investigate Mr Whyte’s finances.

Ms Brittain, the head of Contentious Insolvency at London accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, has built a fearsome reputation while dealing with some of the country’s most high-profile bankruptcy cases.

Previous bankrupts she has handled have included disgraced Tory MPs Jonathan Aitken and Neil Hamilton.

The bankruptcy petition was filed at the High Court in London over debts worth £20.8m. Mr Whyte also faces criminal charges over his part in the Rangers takeover and is due to go on trial next year.