RANGERS shareholder Mike Ashley has offered to fly a committee of MPs by helicopter to his Sports Direct HQ so they can see for themselves what it is like to work there.

Mr Ashley, who also owns Newcastle United, told members of Parliament’s Business Select Committee he will only be grilled by them about working conditions at the Derbyshire centre if they see it for themselves first.

He offered the deal after months of attempts by politicians to quiz Mr Ashley about how his staff are treated and over the use of zero-hours contracts.

He has been refusing to appear before the committee, but in a letter he said he will travel to Westminster, but only on condition that the MPs visit the Sports Direct offices in Shirebrook the day before.

The committee will discuss the letter at its meeting next week.

Mr Ashley has repeatedly refused to attend the meetings and at one stage said the MPs involved were “a joke”.

The businessman had been asked to attend Westminster in June on the back of a BBC investigation into working practices at Sports Direct’s warehouse, which is based in Shirebrook.

He had been warned he could be in contempt of parliament if he continued to refuse to appear in front of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee.

In March, the businessman said he would not give evidence in parliament about how his workers are treated.

He offered to host MPs at his HQ at that time also, an offer that was declined, and was warned about the possibility of contempt.

At the time, he told Sky News: “In my opinion, they’re just showboating. They don’t care about the people, they care about the business of politics.”

In April, a bid to dismiss a criminal charge against Sports Direct’s chief executive following the collapse of fashion retailer USC was rejected. Proceedings were started against David Forsey after about 80 workers at USC’s warehouse in Dundonald, Ayrshire, were made redundant last January.

He is accused of breaching section 194 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 along with Robert Palmer, an administrator of USC. Both pleaded not guilty. District judge Andrew Davison, at Northern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, rejected the application to dismiss the case.

Earlier this month it was also announced that English league bosses planned to hold talks with Mr Ashley over his interests in Rangers.

He holds an 8.92 per cent stake in Rangers in addition to his ownership of the Magpies. He also owns a 49 per cent share of the company selling Rangers’ retail products.

The businessman would have to get the written consent of the Football League if he wishes to keep hold of his Rangers interests.

If they refuse, he may be forced to loosen his grip on the retail deal that reportedly earns Rangers just four pence from every pound spent in its club store.

Meanwhile, Mr Ashley also faced the prospect of being ordered to pay the legal fees of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Rangers chairman Dave King after he dropped court action involving the two.

In April, he abandoned his legal case, in which he was challenging the SFA’s decision to class Mr King as a “fit and proper person” for involvement with the Ibrox club.