An Ardrossan firm owner has been accused of abusing his position in community youth work to leave volunteers and a local charity out of pocket.

Tony Adams allegedly fleeced a local charity, the Little Box of Distractions, out of almost £200. He is also accused of recruiting people for a medical response company failing to pay employees or provide PGV (formerly disclosure) checks.

Kerry Elliot, who runs the Little Box of Distractions, claims that she is out of pocket after being offered a partnership in Mr Adams’ company, North Ayrshire Community Youth Work (NACYW).

She said that Mr Adams had wished to form the partnership with her charity and asked her to make up bags for homeless kids.

The charity owner claims that she then spent around £150 filling the bags, only for Mr Adams to reject them. She also claims she spent £70 on printing new leaflets advertising the partnership, which never manifested.

Kerry said: “We’re out of pocket. He’s been getting away with so much for so long that people need to know what’s happening.”

Christine Reid, a 17-year-old student from Stevenston, claims that she is owed up to £500 by Mr Adams’ company, National Event Medical Services Ltd.

Christine signed up for the firm, which dispatches first aiders following alerts from emergency first response app, GoodSAM. This app was designed to alert first aiders when someone had suffered a heart attack nearby.

However, Mr Adams was seeking contracts for events, like football tournaments.

The teen said that she was given first aid training by Mr Adams and the company manager, Stacey Millen, who is also a manager at NACYW, and that she was required to work 10-12 hour shifts at football events but was never paid.

Christine said: “At the time they felt like trustworthy nice people, but it doesn’t feel like that anymore. They’ve been manipulating people.

“I’m annoyed. He took advantage of us. Tony’s the director of the company, but when me and my mum were messaging him, he would say ‘take this up with Stacy’ like he was passing the blame.

“I had originally applied to be an admin assistant, but I never ever done any admin stuff with him.

“I’ve never been paid from them at all. I filled out a PAYE form, but I had to keep asking for that. None of us got PVG checks.

“He wanted me to pay for my uniform which must have come to £100 overall. I think I was probably owed up to £500.

“He’s got three companies. One is North Ayrshire Community Youth Work which makes you think he’s with North Ayrshire Council and he’s not.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson confirmed that the authority is not affiliated with North Ayrshire Community Youth Work in any way.

The spokesperson added: “We are continuing to make inquiries about the individual’s business practices.”

The Herald tried to contact Mr Adams and Stacey Millan for comment. Neither had responded by the time we went to print. But one of the youth workers at NACYW, who did not wish to be named, blasted the claims made by Kerry as “rubbish”.

She said: “He [Tony] was interested in a partnership with the charity, but he still needed to take it to the committee. It’s not as if he can just do things without approval first.”

In response to Christine’s claims workers had not been paid and there were no PVG checks, the youth worker said: “There’s reasons they haven’t been paid. I’ve got my DVS, which is my police check and I’ve also applied for my PVG.

“As far as I know Tony has his PVG, but I can’t speak for him.”