A training officer who was creating false paperwork which made it look like apprentices were still in a work a year after they left was discovered after an investigation by his Welshpool employer.

Cambrian Training Company in Welshpool repaid £30,000 that it had "unwittingly" earned through the false records created by Timothy John involving multiple apprentices.

Data and compliance officer Beverley Jones contacted the owner of Foam Restaurant in Milford Haven about an apprentice on its books in October 2022.

The puzzled owner said the learner in question had left in the previous December.

She also found that the email address that had been giving updates on the employee was not the owner's and appeared to have been set up by Mr John.

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After this Ms Jones rang Mr John who told her he had “f****d up”, after which Ms Jones' manager Anne Jones made further investigations into the list of learners with whom Mr John worked.

Ms Jones told an Educational Workforce Council disciplinary hearing: “It appeared that Timothy John had falsified records for a number of learners.

“I can not see what the benefits would have been – it appears he began to slip behind in his paperwork. Whilst working at Cambrian Training he had other business interests.”

She found 10 other learners were no longer employed including two brothers working at Cardiff Council.

They had confirmed that they had not been employed in their roles for over a year, but someone had been logging into their learner accounts to fill in reviews of their working day.

Mr John repeatedly refused to meet the management team about the investigation findings and resigned his position in 2023.

The company had to pay around £30,000, which the committee found it had "unwittingly" earned, back to the Welsh Government .

The committee found all the accusations against Mr John were proved.

Chair of the committee Michelle McBreeze said: “Mr John’s actions were dishonest – the committee has lamented that it had been unable to explain Mr John’s behaviour due to his non-attendance.

(Image: NQ)

“Over a period of years he had created multiple false records."

Ms McBreeze said Mr John's actions “did not uphold the trust that the public holds in the education profession” and that he had behaved in an “irresponsible manner”.

Mr John was given a prohibition order for a minimum of two years.

Arwyn Watkins, OBE, Cambrian Training Company’s executive chairman, said: “Cambrian Training Company is satisfied with the outcome of the EWC hearing which highlighted the prompt action and investigation instigated by the company when Mr John’s fraudulent conduct was identified.

“It’s important to emphasise that the company’s internal auditing system, processes and procedures worked well and that all money received as a result of the falsified records has been repaid in full to the Welsh Government.”