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Model agency faces top probe

4/ 3/2004

A GOVERNMENT department is to study evidence revealed by an M.E.N. investigation into a Manchester model agency.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will look at claims that Perfect Image and its director Nigel Read broke the strict rules governing employment agencies.

The M.E.N. dossier has been passed on to Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt. A government spokeswoman said investigators would be looking closely at our findings before deciding whether to launch an inquiry.

"The information has been passed to us and the DTI's Employment Standards Authority inspectors look at all such submissions," she said. "If the inspectors find an agency is in breach of the regulations we can take a case to the employment tribunal system which has the power to stop a director from operating for up to 10 years."

Perfect Image took money from an undercover Manchester Evening News reporter, leading her on for weeks with promises of work before finally "losing" all her details.

Crashed

Before starting Perfect Image, Mr Read was manager of the Manchester franchise of talent spotting company Wilhelmina Scouting Network (WSN).

The company's UK arm crashed, but not before WSN, operating from the same city centre offices as Perfect Image, took almost £400 from an ex-male dancer before demanding a further £250 for items the man claims were included in the original price.

The dancer was told he would get regular work but ended up £400 out of pocket with no modelling jobs. Many agencies do not charge a penny for wannabe models to join.

Anyone can set up any type of modelling agency without any checks on them but the DTI says it is cracking down on the practice.

A spokeswoman said: "The DTI is seeking to outlaw the practice of unscrupulous agencies taking money from workers in the modelling and entertainment sectors but offering little or no work.

The Department's new Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations, which come into force on April 6, will mean that model and entertainment agencies can only deduct their fees from workers' earnings from the work the agent has found for them."