Waste management directors disqualified

In addition, at a time Mr Wagstaff knew or ought to have known the company was insolvent he allowed the company to pay funds of at least £55,653 which was due to TWM into his personal bank account.

The investigation involved close liaison and cooperation with the Environment Agency, who carried out inspections at the company’s trading site in Goole from 2014 to July 2015 noting breaches of TWM’s environment permit.

Between May 2015 and June 2015, three fires broke out at the trading site. This ultimately led to an enforcement notice from the Environment Agency prohibiting TWM from receiving certain types of waste and requiring the company to take steps to remove the risk of serious pollution with immediate effect. Soon after the enforcement notice was served the company entered liquidation.

Robert Clarke, investigations group leader at the Insolvency Service, said: “The failure by the directors of TWM to comply with environmental protection legislation presented a significant risk of pollution to both the environment and the public.

“The disqualification of Mr and Mrs Wagstaff sends a clear message that corporate entities failing to comply with legislation which is in place to protect environmental interests will not be tolerated.”