A mother who was told her son could make it as an actor but then she was asked for £180 in return is warning other parents to be wary before parting with their cash.

Rachael Burnham, from Long Hanborough, near Witney, took her two sons, Joshua, 11, and Adam, nine, to auditions organised by acting agency Rondevous, but was unhappy it wanted an upfront fee despite there being no guarantee of work for the children.

Mrs Burnham, a 32-year-old teaching assistant, said the agency showed interest in Joshua.

She said: "If you are sat there and someone is telling you your child could make a great actor or model and all it costs is £180 you might start thinking it's money well spent and not question it. I was told I would soon make my money back if Joshua got some work.

"I did not have a cheque book or credit card so said I would go away and think about it. They said there were only 35 places available so I would need to act quickly.

"It was only when I got home and thought about it properly that I thought it was a lot of money. I began to wonder how many people had handed over money after being told their child could be a star.

"They play to your vanity - everyone thinks their own child is wonderful."

The auditions were held last weekend at The Oxford Hotel, in Godstow Road, Oxford.

The agency said it makes it clear there is an upfront fee of £180 and if no work is found within a year then all money is refunded. The owner of Southampton-based Rondevous, Brian Evans, told the Oxford Mail: "If we want to show our clients the people on our books we need to have pictures of them.

"The £180 charge covers the cost of all photography. People are free to use their own photos, but if they go to a photographer it will probably cost them far more than that. We offer a full money back guarantee if no work is found in 12 months.

"This is all explained in the paperwork people are given when they come to the interview. They sign a contract to say they understand that."

He added: "We are not perfect, but I am not in the business of misleading people. The last thing I want to do is take money and then have to give it back again."

Mr Evans estimated that about five per cent of his clients are not found work within 12 months.

Promotional material said work recently undertaken by actors on the agency's books included adverts for Nike, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Colgate.

Ian Marriott, of Oxfordshire County Council's trading standards department, said: "We have no evidence to show the company was doing anything wrong. As far as the law is concerned, there is not a problem."

The Government has said it is concerned about the number of people being charged upfront fees in the industry.