Placing advertisements without the hirer’s permission, encouraging drivers to work extra hours, withholding payments owed to workers and tax fraud are all examples of why people have been banned from running employment agencies. 

Also making the list are issuing non-compliant employment contracts, false invoices, sexual offences and tricking jobseekers into applying for non-existent jobs then charging them admin fees. 

The government yesterday re-released its list of 17 people currently banned from running employment agencies and two who are banned unless they comply with certain conditions. 

While the information contained in the list is not new, it highlights some shocking behaviours, including that of 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.

Mrs 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 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 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 Allen, who ran a driving agency 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 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 and was banned for seven years in 2010 for withholding wages.

• Steven and Amanda Howard, who ran Hire Management and were banned for 10 years in 2010. Mr 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.

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

• Gerald Hemming, who traded as Hemmings Leisure 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 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 to get access to children. He was banned for 10 years in 2013. 

• Mazhar Raja, who ran several staffing companies, 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 and was found to have placed jobs ads without the hirer’s permission. 

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