West Midlands Company’s Licence Revoked – Owner in Jail

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has revoked Holecroft Ltd’s licence as their Principal Authority, David Fisher is not to be a ’fit and proper person’ to hold a licence under the Authority’s licensing scheme.

Fisher was convicted on 13 December 2010 for conspiracy to supply a Class A drug and possession of a Class B drug. Since then, the GLA has identified an unknown and unauthorised person purporting to represent Holecroft Ltd, who has tried to use the Birmingham labour providers’ licence to supply workers illegally.

Paul Whitehouse, Chairman on the GLA said

“Given the nature of the convictions alongside the evidence that an unauthorised person appears to be managing Holecroft Ltd, the Authority had no option but to revoke.”

Notes to editors

1. The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) was set up to curb the exploitation of workers in the agricultural, horticultural, shellfish gathering and associated processing and packing industries.

2. Protecting workers is the key aim alongside protecting legitimate labour providers and protecting the tax payer by uncovering unpaid taxes.

3. The GLA regulate the supply of workers and labour services to any of the regulated sectors in the UK.

4. It is a criminal offence to provide labour in the industries regulated by the GLA without a licence. It is also an offence to use labour provided by unlicensed labour providers.

5. The GLA assess compliance against its Licensing Standards which reflects UK legislation, including Forced Labour Offence. Licensing Standard 1.1 covers whether a person is “Fit & Proper” to hold a licence.

6. In December 2009 a new offence of forced labour was introduced in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. It became an offence in Scotland in August 2010

7. Paul Whitehouse, Chairman of the GLA is available for interview.

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www.gla.defra.gov.uk