The CITB has won a High Court action against Peter Balint which requires him to stop reproducing tests and selling information that sought to give candidates an unfair advantage in the Construction Plant Competence Scheme theory test.

As a result of the High Court Order Balint has been required to:

Pay CITB-ConstructionSkills £13,000 costs, with further damages to be awarded later.

Give his entire stock of publications to CITB-ConstructionSkills or provide evidence that the stock has been destroyed.

Carry a prominent statement on his website setting out the conditions of the High Court Order and why it was granted.

Provide CITB-ConstructionSkills with contact details of the individuals he has provided with test materials.

Provide CITB-ConstructionSkills with contact details of the individuals who have provided him the information.

In a separate case at Croydon Crown Court, Andrij Velhosh pleaded guilty to 48 offences of fraud by false representation, contrary to Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006, after impersonating candidates in HSE tests.

Sentencing was adjourned unti August 17.

Individuals who paid Velhosh to take the test on their behalf are currently being interviewed and criminal charges may be laid against them also.

Braden Connolly, Head of testing at CITB-ConstructionSkills said: “These cases should send out a clear warning to those seeking to defraud CITB-ConstructionSkills and candidates looking to obtain our product deceitfully, that we will do everything necessary to keep honest construction workers safe and preserve the integrity and reputation of these important services.

“We will not allow the efforts that genuine candidates make to achieve the required standards to be undermined by cheats.

“Some individuals have clearly been under the mistaken impression that we aren’t as rigorous as we might be in monitoring what’s going on.  The outcome of the recent cases should provide them with a wake up call.”