27 Offences by bodies corporate.E+W+S
—Where an offence under section 15 or 24 above, paragraph 13(1) or (3) or 14(1) of Schedule 1, paragraph 7 of Schedule 2, paragraph 16 of Schedule 3 or paragraph 16 of Schedule 4 to this Act has been committed by a body corporate, every person who at the date of the commission of the offence was a director, general manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or was purporting to act in any such capacity, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence unless he proves—
(a)that the offence was committed without his consent or connivance, and
(b)that he exercised all such diligence to prevent the commission of the offence as he ought to have exercised having regard to the nature of his functions in that capacity and in all the circumstances.