Placing advertisements without the hirer’s permission, encouraging drivers to work extra hours, withholding payments owed to workers and tax fraud are examples of why nearly 20 men and women have been banned from running employment agencies in the UK, research by Recruiter reveals.

Other causes have been issuing non-compliant employment contracts, false invoicing, sexual offences and tricking jobseekers into applying for non-existent jobs then charging them admin fees. 

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) yesterday re-released its Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate’s (EAS) list of individuals currently banned from running employment agencies and two who are banned if they do not comply with certain conditions. The maximum period of any prohibition order is 10 years.

The list was re-released to include changes in contact details for people wanting to report that a prohibited person is running an employment agency. Previously, people could phone the Pay and Work Rights Helpline, which no longer exists. People are now directed to BIS or EAS.

Some of the bans date back to 2007, while more recent bans were put in place as recently as 2014.

The list contains only names, dates, last known trading areas, and certain conditions on some bans. Recruiter researched further to bring to light the behaviours associated with the bans.

The list includes Dean Coles, who along with wife Debbie ran a Gloucestershire modelling agency. In 2007, he was banned for operating an employment agency for 10 years following a conviction for rape, attempted rape and indecent assault of clients.

Debbie Coles was banned from running an agency from her home address.

Others excluded were:

• Brian Alcock, banned for 10 years in 2007 after admitting manslaughter following the death of a cyclist who was struck by a driver. Alcock ran driving agency Future Driving Services in the East Midlands and was found to have encouraged his HGV drivers to work beyond the 45-hour limit. 

• Raymond Knapman and Robert Legg, who ran driving agency R&B Drivers in Devon and were banned for 10 years in 2007 following a crash caused by one of their drivers. That employee was killed, as was the driver of the lorry he crashed into. Knapman and Legg were found to have allowed drivers to exceed permitted hours. 

• David Allon, who ran a driving agency in Yorkshire under several names and was banned for 10 years in 2007 for several offences including withholding wages, failing to issue terms of employment, failing to conduct background checks and supplying unlicensed drivers.

• Irfan Khan, who ran modelling agency Platinum Models in Central London and was banned for seven years in 2010 for several offences including withholding wages and supplying non-compliant employment terms.

• Christine Lewiss, who ran a rail recruitment firm in Norfolk and was banned for seven years in 2010 for withholding wages.

• Steven and Amanda Howard, who ran Hire Management in East Sussex and were banned for 10 years in 2010. Steven Howard also acted in a recruitment capacity for ERA Technology and Railtrack (now Network Rail). He was found to have used his position at the technology company to raise invoices for Hire Management far exceeding the actual cost of services. He signed an agreement with Railtrack not to hold any related posts elsewhere, but during the three years he worked there, Hire Management invoiced the firm for £1m.

• Glynn Davies, a modelling agent in West Lothian who was banned for 10 years in 2010 and was convicted of indecent assault of a 17-year-old. Susan Davies was also excluded for the same period, unless Glynn Davies was banned from the business’s premise. 

• Gerald Hemming, who traded as Hemmings Leisure in the West Midlands, was banned for seven years in 2011 from working with performing artists after being found to have withheld payments. 

• Ian Johnson and Ronald Clark who were banned for seven years in 2013 after being found to have duped jobseekers in Tyne & Wear into applying for jobs that didn’t exist. They advertised non-existent jobs and tricked applicants into calling expensive phone numbers, as well as charging for a careers pack and admin fees. 

• Stephen Bartlett, a convicted paedophile who set up a recruitment agency in Coventry to get access to children. He was banned for 10 years in 2013. 

• Mazhar Raja, who ran several staffing companies in Hounslow, was found to have failed to pay over £3m in tax and National Insurance Contributions. He was banned for 10 years in 2014. 

• Peter Heselwood, who was banned for seven years in 2014, was found to have placed jobs ads without the hirer’s permission in the Greater Manchester area.

The list also named Michael Brown who had been trading in Central London and banned in 2010. It is understood that Brown ran a modelling agency and withheld fees due to the workers. 

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