News

The UK Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has revoked the licence of a gangmaster with the help of evidence from mushroom packer Walsh Mushrooms in Worcestershire.

The GLA said Stonehouse Recruitment of Oldbury, West Midlands had been shut down for a number of "unacceptable" working practices, including using a 15-seater minibus without a PSV licence to transport workers, breaching working time regulations and not keeping timesheets up-to-date, and not making deductions or paying income tax to the HMRC.

Stonehouse Recruitment director Gurdip Singh also failed to co-operate with GLA officers and did not let them see key documents. He also did not keep any records for 10 workers and had not confirmed the identity of his workers or their right to work in the UK.

Evesham-based Walsh Mushrooms, which washes, cuts, dices, packs and labels mushrooms, provided GLA investigators with copies of timesheets that Stonehouse either could not or would not supply.

Walsh Mushrooms director Michael O'Sullivan said: "As soon as we were alerted to the issues concerning Stonehouse Recruitment, immediate action was taken to terminate their contract with us."

"The GLA has confirmed that we have met all our legal responsibilities, were at no point under investigation ourselves and co-operated fully with the GLA inspectors throughout the investigation."

The GLA revoked Stonehouse Recruitment's licence without immediate effect in February and the firm was allowed to continue trading pending its appeal.

The ruling dismissing the appeal said Singh had "clearly sought to mislead" the GLA by "wilfully" failing to allow appropriate inspections and producing documentation of "dubious authenticity".

GLA chairman Paul Whitehouse said Singh was "lucky on this occasion only to be losing his licence".

Stonehouse Recruitment is the 60th gangmaster to lose its licence.

The GLA was set up to protect workers in agriculture, shellfish gathering and food processing and packaging.