Members of the Business and Skills Committee have accused Sports Direct of attempting to record their private discussions during a surprise visit to inspect the company’s Shirebrook warehouse.

The visit was intended to be a ‘spot check’ to examine working practices at the site, after the company was accused of ‘Victorian’ working conditions.  

The MPs spent three hours touring the site, which was previously described as a “gulag”, before meeting in a private room.

Anna Turley, the Labour MP for Redcar said: “At the end of the meeting, we sat down to have a private conversation in a room by ourselves.

“A lady came in with some sandwiches, which was very kind. I saw her take too long to do it, she put it down and I saw her put a recording device on the floor.

“She left the room and I went over to pick up the device and there it was: a camera and a recording device for the conversation that we were having privately.

“I'm very disappointed.”

Owner Mike Ashley was not at Shirebrook during the visit and a company spokesperson has declined to comment.