A business owner who tried to recruit seven unemployed people to work for him was flabbergasted when none of them showed up for their first day.

Carl Cooper says four of the seven admitted to him they would be better off staying on state handouts... and didn’t fancy venturing out in the torrential downpour yesterday.

The 26-year-old, who runs Car Smart, a marketing firm for independent car dealers in Hersden, near Canterbury, had even rented extra office space to accommodate the new staff – which ended up unused.

He blames a lack of motivation on the recruits’ part and a system that rewards people too generously for not working.

"These are people who are so morally twisted that they would rather stay on the dole than work…” – Carl Cooper

“These are people who are so morally twisted that they would rather stay on the dole than work – they are without enthusiasm for it,” Carl said.

“I managed to speak to four of them and they were quite honest about it in that they would rather not have to get up in the morning, not come out in the rain, not spend £5 getting into work and not lose their benefits.

“All these seven are currently unemployed. One told me because he is in a relationship and has children, he would lose too much in benefits and couldn’t afford that.”

Carl, who lives in Deal and works as the company’s director of sales, started Car Smart at the end of last year.

He is hoping to constantly expand the business so he can have up to 100 people working there.

Carl advertised telemarketing positions through recruitment websites and the Jobcentre website.

Anyone taking up a job would receive £100 a week as basic pay plus whatever they could earn in commission for sales.

Carl expected staff to be able to earn around £300 or £400 a week.

“Even the basic pay for fulfilling the minimum requirements of the work would be double what they could get on Job Seekers’ Allowance,” he said.

“But for seven to be no shows is unbelievable. They have no motivation.

“I want people out there, parents of unemployed kids, to know that we are willing to take people on whether or not they have experience.”