Anthony
Sykes
Employee
7269163
Decision - Employee-related decision
Outcome: Control of non-qualified staff (Section 43 / Section 99 order)
Outcome date: 8 October 2026
Published date: 3 November 2026
Firm details
Firm or organisation at time of matters giving rise to outcome
Name: Ramsdens Solicitors LLP
Address(es): Oakley House,1 Hungerford Road, Edgerton, Huddersfield, HD3 3AL
Firm ID: 440420
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
Who does this decision relate to?
Anthony Sykes whose last known address was in Leeds.
A person who is or was involved in a legal practice but is not a solicitor.
Summary of decision
The SRA has put restrictions on where and how Mr Sykes can work in an SRA regulated firm. It was found that:
Mr Sykes, who is not a solicitor, was involved in a legal practice and has been convicted of a criminal offence which is such that it is undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in any of the ways described in the order below.
The facts of the case
Mr Sykes was a paralegal at Ramsdens Solicitors LLP from November 2022 to July 2023.
On 11 December 2025, Mr Sykes was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between 1 June 2023 and 10 July 2023 contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 (offence 1).
He was also convicted of making an indecent photograph / pseudo photograph of a child, namely two category C images of a child contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protections of Children Act 1978 (offence 2).
On 12 January 2026, Mr Sykes was sentenced to a community order and was also made subject to notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for five years and a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
Decision on outcome
An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Mr Sykes' conduct meant that it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval. The order pursuant to section 43 was made with effect from the date of the letter or email notifying Mr Sykes of this decision.
Mr Sykes conduct was serious because he was convicted of sexual offences relating to children. He was directly responsible for his own conduct which had the potential to cause serious harm.
The nature of the conviction makes it undesirable for him to be involved in legal practice without the SRA's permission. This is because anyone involved in the provision of legal services is in a position of trust and confidence. Mr Sykes' conduct seriously undermines that trust and confidence.
Mr Sykes was also ordered to pay a proportion of the SRA's costs of £600.
What our Section 43 order means
- no solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
- no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the solicitor's practice;
- no recognised body shall employ or remunerate him;
- no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate him in connection with the business of that body;
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to be a manager of the body; and
- no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit him to have an interest in the body
except in accordance with the SRA's prior written permission.