LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A senior British lawmaker hasdemanded Sports Direct explain an alleged attempt to spy on agroup of parliamentarians during a surprise visit this week to acompany warehouse.
Several members of parliament (MPs) reported an attempt tohide a camera in a room where they were meeting in private onMonday, an incident described by MP Iain Wright in a letter toSports Direct CEO Mike Ashley as "utterly unacceptable".
Wright also alleged in his letter that Ashley had suggestedto him in a subsequent telephone conversation that the camerahad been planted by a member of parliament's business committee,which has repeatedly clashed with the Sports Direct boss.
Committee members said at the end of their visit to theShirebrook facility, which has been slated for poor workingconditions, a woman brought them a tray of sandwiches, put it ona stool and tried to hide a camera underneath.
The incident was the latest in a series of public relationsdisasters for Sports Direct, a 450-store sportswear chainbattling to improve its image after poor treatment of staff,including paying some less than the minimum wage, and corporategovernance problems.
"I will assume your initial suggestion to me during ourtelephone conversation that the device was planted by acommittee member was a spur of the moment misjudgement,"committee chairman Wright wrote in the letter to Ashley, whichwas published on Wednesday.
A Sports Direct spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the letter, but on Tuesday the company's board said "it would liketo make it clear that it did not authorise or have any knowledgeof the possible recording device".
Sports Direct cut its profit forecast twice last month andhas seen its share price slump this year. It said it wasaddressing shortcomings it admitted in its working practices. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editingby Alexander Smith)
