British High Commission overseas reference validation

[Work.permit.problem]

Hi Everyone,
This a great forum where hundreds of us exchange advises.
This is my first post and would like your advise on an issue?

I was in the uk on working holiday visa and have worked for my employer for 12. ( 8 more months left on my working holiday visa)

My employer has offered me a full time Job offer and has lodged the work permit on by behave and I was asked by the work permit agent to go to my home country before he lodges the application and wait for the visa back in australia.

Work permit was lodged on grounds of 3 years experience.
References letter covering as much as possible of the last 3 years of the prevouis employment was sumitted along with the documents such as job offer, organisational chart and copy of my passport.
The application which would have taken 5-10 working days is still under process (4 weeks now) and the agent has said the work permits uk has contacted the nearest British High Commission who will be checking your employment reference .

1.My question is does this reference check always happens and who would they contact and the reference letter only stated name and title with no contact details but had a company letter head? or is it a timing buying process the agent is saying for the sake of it?

2.My question is what if the person who wrote me the references almost 1.5 year ago is no longer there?
3. would the application for work permit be refused if there are abit of discrepencies due to my role i have had held ( eventhough I have held supervisory positions for almost 4 yrs) ?
5. Am i able to come back to uk(since i have 8 more months on WHM) and re apply for work permit? or appeal?

6. Is my boyfriend able to sponser me ( he is from denmark but has lived and worked in UK for the last 2.5 yrs) if so are we able to lodge COA when i go back to UK since i have 8 months left from WHM?

many thanks in advance

Nadia....[/b]