Former waste firm boss banned as director after transferring assets worth millions to connected companies as NHS contracts collapsed
Nine-year director disqualification for Scottish businessman
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Garry Pettigrew was the director of Healthcare Environmental Services Limited, a waste disposal company that serviced the NHS
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The company entered liquidation six months after losing significant NHS contracts but not before Pettigrew had transferred almost £3 million in assets to connected companies, putting them beyond the reach of creditors
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Insolvency Service investigations have resulted in Pettigrew being banned as a company director until 2035
A Scottish businessman who stripped almost £3 million in assets from his waste firm as it lost lucrative NHS contracts has been banned as a company director for nine years.
Garry Pettigrew began moving equipment out of Healthcare Environmental Services Limited just days before it lost 17 NHS England contracts in October 2018, with transfers continuing into December 2018 with further NHS contracts terminated that month.
The company went into liquidation in April 2019 with debts of more than £15 million.
Pettigrew, 59, of Torbothie Road, Shotts, North Lanarkshire, was disqualified following a ruling at the Court of Session on Thursday 20 August.
The ban prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without the permission of the court.
In his judgement, Lord Lake said Pettigrew was in ‘flagrant’ breach of his duties as a director.
He said: “Although the case falls within the middle bracket, I consider that the nature of the breach by Pettigrew of his duties is such to mean that it is at the top end of that bracket. In these circumstances I conclude that disqualification for a period of 9 years is appropriate.”
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.
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.
Healthcare Environmental Services Limited lost significant NHS contracts across a two-day period in early October 2018 after Pettigrew attended a meeting with NHS and government officials the previous month to discuss allegations of stockpiling waste in breach of Environment Agency permits.
Between October and December 2018, in a series of transactions, Pettigrew caused the transfer of assets worth £2,979,383 from Healthcare Environmental Services Limited 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 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 and trading ceased with all staff being made redundant.
The Insolvency Service began investigating shortly after Healthcare Environmental Services Limited entered liquidation in April 2019. On 6 August 2021, a director disqualification undertaking for a period of 3.5 years was accepted from Pettigrew’s co-director, Alison Pettigrew, for allowing the asset transfers to take place.
Criminal proceedings brought against Pettigrew by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland over allegations of storing medical waste illegally were dropped in October 2023.
Further information
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Garry Pettigrew is of Torbothie Road, Shotts, North Lanarkshire. His date of birth is 5 February 1967.
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Healthcare Environmental Services Limited (company number SC173861)
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HEG Sustainable Solutions Limited (company number 07013244)
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Starryshaw Consultants Ltd (company number SC448005)
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Directors can find information about their obligations and responsibilities at the Insolvency Service’s Director Information Hub
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