Porn scandal shames DVLA

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has dismissed 14 members of staff at the licensing centre in Swansea for distributing pornographic email attachments to people outside the centre.

An employee at the centre told the South Wales Evening Post: "It is everywhere. It is hardcore stuff and very offensive. A lot of people have been unhappy to have the emails popping up on their computers."

The DVLA confirmed the dismissals to silicon.com sister site ZDNet UK. A spokeswoman said in a statement: "Following an investigation, DVLA has dismissed 14 members of staff for gross misconduct. The staff concerned were found to have used the Agency's electronic systems to send pornographic email attachments out of the Agency, in direct contravention of DVLA's code of conduct."

The DVLA denied reports that so much pornographic email was being distributed in the centre that it caused the email system to slow down, triggering an investigation.

According to reports, a further 101 workers have been disciplined for sending pornographic emails within the centre, which employs around 6,000 people.

The scandal is the second to hit the DVLA in less than a year. A female worker was dismissed in July 2005 after sending a video clip via her mobile phone of her having sex with her boyfriend.

The problem of staff distributing pornographic emails via corporate email and text messaging systems has been a sporadic problem over the years. In May 2002, Ford Motor company in Dagenham was forced to announce an amnesty on pornographic and other inappropriate emails, and in September 2000 Orange sacked 40 people for sending pornography over the internet.

Colin Barker writes for ZDNet UK