Hays managing director for UK and Ireland Tim Cook has called on the directors of other recruitment firms to join him in stamping out data theft.

A statement from Hays reports that Cook and Dan Morrison, a partner at law firm Mishcon de Reya which acts for the recruitment firm in data theft cases, are working together to develop a process that would see the criminal element of such crimes get fully presented to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Morrison said, “It won’t be long before someone ends up in jail. We have successfully obtained suspended prison sentences against data crooks and the wind is with us to move towards a fully-fledged custodial sentence — it is only a matter of time.”

“When will consultants realise that taking data to another organisation or stealing it for personal gain is not only unethical but illegal?” asked Cook.

The statement said Hays recently obtained a Search Order against another recruitment firm and its management team on the basis of allegations that data had been misappropriated from  Hays via former employees. Recruiter is withholding the name of the other company involved in the legal action pending a response to a request for comment.

(For more, see the 14 Jan issue of Recruiter.)