The boss of a Widnes waste operator that held lucrative contracts with the NHS has been banned as a director for nine years after transferring millions of pounds in assets to connected companies.
Garry Pettigrew ran the waste disposal firm Healthcare Environmental Services before it entered liquidation with debts of more than £15m.
The company held a standard national operator licence authorising 10 HGVs and two trailers running out of a Gorsey Lane, Widnes base.
However, Pettigrew began moving equipment out of the company 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.
According to the Insolvency Service, Healthcare Environmental Services lost the contracts across a two-day period in 2018 after the director attended a meeting with NHS and government officials 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 to HEG Sustainable Solutions and Starryshaw Consultants, two connected companies of which, at that time, he and his wife were the only directors.
The Insolvency Service said these 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 accountants and solicitors that consent was required.
An attempt to sell the company collapsed in December 2018 and trading ceased with all staff made redundant.
An investigation into the firm’s activities began shortly after Healthcare Environmental Services entered liquidation in April 2019.
In 2021, a director disqualification undertaking for a period of three-and-a-half years was accepted from Pettigrew’s co-director, Alison Pettigrew, for allowing the asset transfers to take place.
Pettigrew’s nine-year disqualification followed a ruling at the Court of Session last month.
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 nine 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.”
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.
