Firm that went bust owing £650k to HMRC offers staff Las Vegas trip after being bought by ex-owner

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Simon GoodleyFebruary 15, 2026 at 09:00 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Premier Group Recruitment, a UK recruitment firm, went into administration in September with £2.9 million in debts, including £647,000 owed to HMRC. Shortly after, the company's assets were acquired by PGGBR Ltd, a new company founded by Andrew Woosnam, Premier's former owner. Despite the previous company's debts, the new entity announced an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas for staff who meet targets. Woosnam's acquisition, for an initial £10,000 with further installments, is an example of "phoenixism," where directors restart a business free of prior debts. The previous company also had a £1.2 million director's loan to Woosnam and paid out £1.95 million in dividends to shareholders in recent years.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

David Taylor 30% Rob Keyes 30% KRE Corporate Recovery 40% Las Vegas ×250% PGGBR Ltd 60% Andrew Woosnam ×370% Premier Group Recruitment ×280% HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) ×390%

Keywords

phoenixism 90% hmrc debt 80% company liquidation 70% tax avoidance 60% director's loan 60% las vegas trip 50% recruitment business 50% business administration 40%