A Birmingham labour provider has been stopped from acting as a gangmaster.

Imran Riaz applied for a gangmaster licence for a business trading as Brody Recruitment, but his application was refused as he could not demonstrate that he could run a compliant business.

Riaz, who intended to run the business from an address at Tree Acre Grove in Halesowen, failed to meet, or even have any knowledge of, a variety of basic employment laws. He made no notes or records of the advice given by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) officer at the interview and could not demonstrate an ability to comply with GLA licensing standards. If Brody Recruitment is found to be operating without a licence, the GLA will take immediate enforcement action.

Paul Whitehouse, chairman of the GLA, said: “The law is there to protect workers and to ensure business requirements are met. These are basic rules that the vast majority of gangmasters have no problem with. Those who break or bend the rules need to be dealt with to ensure that legitimate businesses and the workers do not suffer."