Tragic Tara’s company was nearly half a million in debt

IRREPRESSIBLE socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson’s family denied she was ‘in a dark place’ before her death in February at the age of 45.

However, Tara, who suffered a perforated ulcer, had racked up huge losses at the fashion company, Desiderata London, she set up with such enthusiasm.

Accounts filed at Companies House disclose that the business held trading losses of £418,989 in the 13 months to the end of march. That’s more than double the £192,854 reported for last year.

Tara’s sister, the novelist Santa montefiore, told me earlier this year that she was closing down the company, whose name means ‘desired things’ in Latin. ‘It’s very sad for everyone involved,’ said Santa. ‘Tara was the creative force behind it, but now she is gone. I could never replace her.’