Inquiry into agency that ignored warnings

The Department of Trade and Industry is to launch an investigation into TimePlan, the company which sent Amy Gehring into schools despite being warned that she was a risk to young boys.

Government officials could close the company down if they find it failed in its duty as an employment agency to check her suitability for a teaching vacancy. Today, as the company fought for its future, a row broke out between its chairman and Education Secretary Estelle Morris.

TimePlan chairman Ian Penman rejected Government claims that it failed to pass on a warning from child protection officials about Miss Gehring and continued to employ her in Surrey schools. A letter sent to TimePlan by Surrey County Council's child protection team on 9 November will be the key to the DTI investigation.

The Education Department says it knew nothing about it until the end of last month and TimePlan has sacked its Surrey director, Ron Stonier, acknowledging that he made a "monumental mistake" in failing to act on the warning.

But today, Mr Penman told BBC Radio: "I think the letter was seen by the DfES. I'm not buying all this stuff about how we somehow held this guilty secret alone. The DfES had this stuff and didn't act on it."

Ms Morris rejected the claim, saying: "I have never heard anything more disgraceful. TimePlan made a monumental error and as a result, this teacher was allowed back into schools. They didn't pass this letter on. More than that, they had already placed Amy Gehring back into a school and they left her there and after that there were further allegations."

A DTI spokesman said agencies had a duty "to do all in their power to determine whether a teacher is suitable for a vacancy". Failure to do so could result in the directors being banned for 10 years.

TimePlan is one of the big four firms that supply teachers to schools desperate for staff. It charges around £170 a day for each teacher. Out of this, the company takes around £50.