A gangmaster in Hawick, Roxburgshire has been convicted for operating without a licence.

At Peebles Sheriff Court, Dean Mitchell, who ran Freelance Poultry, pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined £450.

The business was found to be supplying workers to catch chickens in the Edinburgh area without a licence between 17 February and 26 June last year.

Paul Whitehouse, chairman of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, says: “Mitchell had misled the farmers into believing he was licensed, and knowingly broke the law when supplying workers without a licence. Operating without a licence can damage the whole supply chain and also means that the rights of the workers supplied cannot be checked by the GLA to ensure they are treated correctly.

“Our approach of proactive intelligence led enforcement activity is proving very effective in dealing with those who break the rules and leaving the good labour providers to get on with their business.”