MARRIED letting agents have been accused of conning tenants and pocketing more than £10,000 in rental deposits.

George and Kim Overill, and two of the companies they run, face a combined 38 counts of fraud, engaging in unfair commercial practices and fraudulent trading.

They are alleged to have breached housing, commercial and fair practice regulations for years.

Both deny all the charges on behalf of themselves and the companies.

The Harwich based letting agents run Oakpark Asset Management Ltd and Oakpark Properties UK Ltd.

Under the Housing Act tenants' deposits, when they rent out a home, should be placed in a protected scheme within 30 days so when they move out the money, subject to any problems at the property, is available to be returned.

However the couple and the companies have been accused of taking deposits belonging to ten customers for themselves.

Some of the tenants are alleged to have paid more than one deposit and one tenant as many as six deposits totalling thousands of pounds.

Kim Overill, of Oakley House, High Street, Thorpe is accused of multiple counts of engaging in unfair commercial practices, at times between July 2009 and August 2014, and failing to deal with deposits properly.

She is accused of fraudulent trading, under the Companies Act, by being a knowing party to the carrying on of two businesses for fraudulent purposes during periods between 2009 and 2014.

She also faces ten counts of fraud by abuse of position, as the manager of the companies, against ten different tenants.

The value of the alleged frauds range from £325 to £3,550.

Her husband, company director George Overill, 59, of the same address, faces multiple counts of engaging in unfair commercial practices, fraudulent trading and fraud by abuse of position also.

The couple and the companies are accused of not following the rules in order “to make a gain for themselves”.

Letting Agents Oakpark Asset Management Ltd and Letting Agents Oakpark Properties Ltd face similar charges to the couple.

Discussions are ongoing about possible resolutions outside of the courtroom, although the couple still deny any wrongdoing either as individuals or as a company director or manager.

If these cannot be resolved the trial will begin at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 15.