John Gunn, former chief executive of British & Commonwealth Holdings, is taking a small step back into the public eye, 14 years after the collapse of the financial services group and six years after his exoneration in the High Court, where he defeated government efforts to bar him as a director.

Ludgate Investments, a private corporate finance house of which Mr Gunn is a non-executive director, plans to raise £10m to £20m by launching a fund early next year. It will concentrate on what Mr Gunn describes as "sensible green themes".