NoSweat director Steve Ward charged with fraud and unfair trading

Former NoSweat Journalism Training director Steve Ward has appeared in court charged with unfair trading and fraud.

Ward appeared at Highbury Magistrates Court yesterday morning when his case was adjourned until 13 September.

He did not enter a plea and was remanded on unconditional bail.

NoSweat Journalism Training ceased trading and was placed into liquidation in April.

The National Council for the Training of Journalists declined to renew NoSweat’s accreditation in August 2011 and it later its appeal to Ofqual over the decision.

According to a report on The Guardian:

Ward, 63, was accused of fraud by false representation, by using the term NCTJ on the college website, thereby intending to profit from its use.

He also faced two charges of engaging in an unfair commercial practice by using the name of the NCTJ on his college’s website – the equivalent of a quality mark – in order to imply that its courses were accredited, when they were not.

He was further charged with failing to inform two students – Mario MacKenzie and Lauretta Ihonor – that the NoSWeat courses were no longer NCTJ accredited.