Best friends Alan Gun and Mark Hill planned on making enough money to set up their own DJ business by wining and dining female clients.

After spotting an advert by Rebecca's Nationwide Male Escorts at the start of July the men, who both live in Hall Green, sent off for an application pack.

They each paid a registration fee of £35 and £65 to have a portfolio with photographs for potential clients. But they said afterwards they didn't hear back from the agency for weeks.

Mr Gun, 44, said: "It said that after 48 hours if you hadn't had any offers, you could automatically get your money back.

"We kept calling the agency to find out why no clients had got in touch and asking for our money back but they said we had to wait until next July.

"We've got all the paperwork and nowhere does it mention you have to wait a year."

The friends, who both work as security officers, thought they would be the perfect partners for women looking for an escort.

Mr Gun, a father of two, said: "There's nothing sexual involved – it's all about having a good personality, the gift of the gab and making sure the ladies have a good time.

"We thought it would be an easy way of making money, but now we're really annoyed and wanted to warn other people."

Kelly Jamieson, acting office manager at the Sheffield agency, said: "Our guarantee actually states that if we can't find work within 48 hours we will return the money at the end of the registration period, which is one year.

"We have given them quite a few opportunities to try and get work but they are restricting themselves quite a bit – there are lots of things that they are not willing to do."

She said the men's details were still in circulation and the agency was trying to get work for them.