Garry Pettigrew was the director of Healthcare Environmental Services (HES), which was a significant contractor for the NHS and went into liquidation in April 2019 with debts of more than £15 million.
Pettigrew was found to have moved almost £3 million in assets to connected companies from the firm as it lost significant NHS contracts in 2018.
The transfers were made to HEG Sustainable Solutions Limited and Starryshaw Consultants Ltd, two connected companies of which, at that time, he and his wife were the only directors.
The former director was disqualified from being a company director until 2035 following a ruling at the Court of Session on Thursday last week (20 August 2026).
The ban prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without the permission of the court.
An Insolvency Service spokesperson said: “Garry Pettigrew breached his duties as a company director by transferring assets worth almost £3 million to connected companies when he knew his business was losing, or about to lose, valuable NHS contracts.
“His actions put assets beyond the reach of creditors at a time when his company was facing severely restricted trading which ultimately caused it to be liquidated.
“We hope this disqualification sends a clear warning to other directors who are tempted to put their own interests first when facing insolvency that we will protect the public and creditors by robustly tackling financial misconduct.”
HES lost significant NHS contracts across a two-day period in early October 2018.
Pettigrew is believed to have attended a meeting with NHS and government officials the previous month to discuss allegations of stockpiling waste in breach of Environment Agency permits.
It is understood that Pettigrew then started moving equipment out of HES in the days prior to losing 17 contracts.
These transfers continued into December 2018, with further NHS contracts terminated that month.
The transfers were made without the consent of the company’s bank, which held a charge over all the firm’s assets, and despite advice from its accountants and solicitors that consent was required.
An attempt to sell the company collapsed in December 2018, following which trading ceased and all staff were made redundant.
Pettigrew was also fined £1,000 and costs in June 2025 after being found in contempt of court for taking pictures of witnesses, in breach of a prohibition by the court.
He was found to have disseminated and misused the photographs by republishing offensive comments and posts of the photographs on social media.
Criminal proceedings had previously been brought against Pettigrew by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland over allegations of storing medical waste illegally, but were dropped in October 2023.
Pettigrew’s co-director, Alison Pettigrew, was disqualified as a director for a period of 3.5 years on 6 August 2021 for allowing the asset transfers to take place.
HES was first incorporated on 26 March 1997, with Pettigrew involved since its inception.
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