NHS trusts in England terminated contracts with HES over concerns about growing waste stockpiles.

The Environment Agency launched a criminal investigation, while Scotland’s environmental regulator also took enforcement action.

Pettigrew consistently denied wrongdoing. He said the problem stemmed from a shortage of incineration capacity across the UK rather than failures by his company.

In 2023, after criminal proceedings against him were dropped, Pettigrew told BBC Scotland News HES had been made a “public scapegoat” and insisted the prosecution case had been “flawed from day one”.

Those criminal proceedings, which related to allegations of illegally storing medical waste, including human body parts, were dropped following a review of the evidence.

Pettigrew subsequently said he intended to pursue legal action and claimed the case had damaged his reputation.

Evidence heard during that criminal case included claims that contractors clearing the Shotts facility found hundreds of tonnes of accumulated clinical waste, including anatomical material- including the carcass of a penguin which was believed to have come from Edinburgh Zoo.

The clean-up operation took months and cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The director disqualification proceedings were separate from the criminal case.

The Court of Session’s decision means Pettigrew is barred from acting as a company director or being involved in the management of a company for the period specified by the court.