OFT bans estate agent

Mark Frederick Howe, of Beech and Howe Estate Agency, in Driffield, East Yorkshire, has been banned after convictions for offences involving fraud and dishonesty.

Howe, 43, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court on 31 October 2008 on 13 counts of theft, procuring execution of a valuable security by deception, obtaining property by deception, and three counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception.

Mike Haley, OFT Director of Consumer Protection, said: 'The seriousness of the offences in this case demonstrates a clear unfitness to engage in estate agency work. We will take action to ban estate agents in any case where they have committed serious offences including fraud or other dishonesty.'