THE couple who run the firm at the centre of the so-called body parts scandal have hit out at “inaccurate” claims made against their company.

Gary and Alison Pettigrew of Lanarkshire-based Healthcare Environmental Services Ltd (HES) say they are shocked by the “vitriol and accusations” and that they alerted the UK Government to problems with the waste disposal system as far back as 2015.

Last week there was widespread coverage of claims that human body parts and hazardous medical waste were being stockpiled at HES sites in England, breaching regulations. It was reported that a criminal investigation had been launched south of the Border.

Richard Dixon of Friends of the Earth Scotland says Scottish and English authorities should work together to help HES. “If this company goes bust, the waste will not stop being created, leaving a very major problem for hospitals up and down Britain,”

The Pettigrews told The National they had no knowledge of any legal action and said they had never stockpiled hundreds of tonnes of human body parts at any of their sites.

“The amount of anatomical waste we collect in England each week only amounts to 1% of the overall tonnage of waste collected,” the company said. “Anatomical waste is not stored on any of our facilities for longer than is allowed by permitted guidelines. All clinical waste is correctly stored, with anatomical waste kept in refrigerated units and not stored or driven around in vehicles, as has been claimed.”

The Environment Agency says the firm has breached environmental permits at four sites in England. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency served enforcement notices regarding waste storage on the company’s sites in Shotts and Dundee but said these have been complied with by HES. The Pettigrews maintain they have frequently warned officials from the Environment Agency that the amount of waste produced by the NHS far outweighs the UK’s incineration capabilities. “We are not the only company to feel the strain on our services, with many of our competitors continually breaching storage regulations,” HES said.

“Since 2015, we have been notifying the Environment Agency, NHS and UK Government about the need for investment in the ageing incineration network to deal with clinical waste. We last met with them in late September and reiterated our concerns. We are saddened that it has taken the involvement of the media to progress a dialogue with the authorities about the severity of the situation.”

The Pettigrews say contingency plans proposed by the Government could result in the NHS suffering a number of waste management issues and claim that without private waste management companies, hospitals could be forced to turn away patients. The Pettigrews said: “While the interest in this story hasn’t come as a shock to us, the vitriol and the accusations against us, the company and our team have. We have both invested our life into the business along with over £2 million of personal director’s loans, with no funding from any Government institutions.

“The company employs almost 350 specialised staff, providing services to our customers on a 24/7 basis 365 days per year.

“We have a great team of people and we thank them at this difficult time. We have enjoyed a close working relationship with officials from the various agencies and will continue to work with all involved until this UK wide issue is resolved.”

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “We are taking enforcement action against the operator, which includes clearance of the excess waste, and have launched a criminal investigation.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said there was “ample storage” in Scotland to accommodate the level of clinical waste generated.“HES has not exceeded the quantities of waste specified in their permits and the company is currently operating within waste storage limits,” he added.