The 18 blocks (Total 255 flats) on the Hanger Hill Garden Estate in London W3 were last redecorated and repaired externally in 2010-2011 at a total cost of over £400,000. The contract was carried out by Armour Contracts Ltd (01863263) now in Administration with very large unsecured debts. See below;

If you have read the other articles on this website you will know by now, that 10 years later the condition of the external fabric including gutters, downpipes, steel windows and wooden window frames is in many cases very poor, and many repairs are required.

Accordingly the Board of Directors led by Ian Collier as Chairman of Hanger Hill Garden Estates Ltd in 2019 instructed a chartered surveyor named John Chandler to prepare a specification of the proposed external repairs.

John Chandler was also instructed to obtain tenders for the proposed works based on his specification.

A summary of the 3 tenders obtained by John Chandler are listed below;

  • K& M McLoughlin Decorating Ltd £496,200 plus VAT and fees
  • P. T. Glew & Sons £426,940 plus VAT and fees
  • Armour Hart Group Ltd £385,080 plus VAT and fees

As you can see the cheapest tender totaling £385, 000 plus fees and VAT was produced by the Armour Hart Group Ltd. Company number 03161192.

The purpose of this article is to introduced you to the Managing Director of the Armour Hart Group which are currently carrying out the £385,000++ contract for the external repairs to the Hanger Hill Garden Estate which started in July 2019. The Managing Director of the Armour Hart Group is Stephen Gary Pennington.

Mr Pennington owns 50% of the voting shares of the Armour Hart Group

According to Companies House Mr Pennington has been associated with 22 different companies in the last 12 years. Most of these companies are not active or have been dissolved; for example;

HS KENT REALIZATIONS (06669086) formerly known as HADLEY SCAFFOLDING: Wound up on the petition of the HM Revenue and Customs on 2 November 2018 with net liabilities of £138, 461 as at 31 March 2017.

IPC REALIZATIONS (2007) LTD (02708140) formerly known as IMPERIAL PAINTING CONTRACTORS As at 02 November 2018 the Administrators statement showed a total of £1,253.165.27 unsecured creditors.

TRC ASSOCIATES LTD (01636945) The Liquidators statement of 22 Oct 2018 lists unsecured debts owed to HMRC of £962,615.75

ARMOUR CONTRACTS LTD (01863263) As of 06 July 2018 the Administrators Report showed unsecured creditors of £3,365,879.83

LVH SERVICES (06513321) Wound up on 12 February 2014 with a net deficiency of £930,951.92.

“Haulage firm director disqualified indefinitely for gross and repeated fraud

The former director of Sheerness-based haulier LVH Services has been disqualified indefinitely after it was ruled he had behaved in a “shameful manner” and had run a fraudulent and incompetent vehicle operation.

Stephen Pennington sidestepped his responsibilities to keep vehicles safe and ensure drivers were working legally, an industry regulator concluded. During a hearing in Eastbourne, Nicholas Denton, traffic commissioner for London and the South East, was told of a catalogue of failings, including: missing tachograph records; vehicles operating without valid tax discs; and missing routine safety inspection records.

  The matters came to light following investigations by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). In March, examiners visited the company’s operating base in Sheerness and found issues with vehicle maintenance procedures and driver record keeping.

  The firm’s transport manager Vivienne Swann could only produce a few tachograph charts – as a result, more than 13,000 km of mileage was unaccounted for. Other aspects of her role were not performed correctly and the commissioner ruled she should be disqualified.

  With regard to Pennington, the commissioner added: “By presiding over a fraudulent and incompetent operation, he has shown that he is unfit to be the director of a transport operator company. He has refused to explain or defend his actions. Indefinite disqualification is therefore entirely proportionate.”

The firm’s licence to run 25 vehicles and 25 trailers was revoked with immediate effect.

INVESTIGATION INTO THE AFFAIRS OF LVH SERVICES LTD –IN LIQUIDATION

I undertook an initial investigation into the Company’s affairs to establish whether there were any potential asset recoveries or conduct matters that justified further investigation taking account of the public interest, potential recoveries, the funds likely to be available to fund an investigation and the costs involved.

I can confirm that I identified matters that justified further investigation. On the basis of these investigations the director (Stephen Pennington)  made an offer of £70,000 in full and final settlement however this was made on the basis of a confidentiality agreement and therefore I cannot divulge any further information in relation to my investigations

I can divulge that in the period covered by this report it has been necessary to spend additional time reviewing the matter as the director has failed to make any payments.

A tracing agent was instructed to locate the director, legal action will now be commenced

Within six months of my appointment as Liquidator I am required to submit a confidential report to the Secretary of State to include any matters which have come to my attention during the course of my work which may indicate that the conduct of any past or present director that would make him unfit to be concerned with the management of the Company. I would confirm that my report has been submitted

Nedim Ailyan

Liquidator Abbott:Fielding: 8 April 2019