But Stephen Byers, the minister responsible, steered the company into the hands of another group led by John Towers, the company's chief executive when it was sold to the German carmaker in 1994.

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Mr Barber's father, 88-year-old father John, known locally as Towers, retired from the business three years ago.

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On the island of Kos, there are the mighty towers of the Castle of the Knights of St John, the medieval order of holy crusaders who went to Jerusalem but never returned home.

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