THE employment and business policies of a high street sports chain have been branded "reprehensible" by a Glasgow MP.

Sports Direct's use of zero hours contract for thousands of staff and tactics used in dealing with suppliers and a landlord of its subsidiary USC were criticised by the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster.

The committee had asked for the owner of Sports Direct, the Newcastle United chairman and Rangers shareholder Mike Ashley to appear to answer question.

Instead the company sent its chairman Keith Hellawell who frustrated MPs by being unable to answer a number of questions claiming not to have the knowledge they requested.

He told the committee Sports Direct employed 1340 staff in Scotland and 250 were on permanent contracts either part or full time the rest were on what he finally accepted were "zero hours" contracts.

The figures mean more than 80% of the firm's Scottish workforce is on contracts where they don't know from one week to the next how many hours they will be offered.

Mr Hellawell said it worked for the company and the staff in terms of flexibility.

Mr Hellawell was asked by committee chairman Ian Davidson, the Glasgow south west MP about zero hours contracts, and tactics for incentivising and managing workers.

Earlier Mr Hellawell was challenged on the form withholding payments to a landlord, not paying a supplier and expecting the tax payer to pick up the redundancy bill for warehouse staff at USC in Dundonald.

Mr Davidson said: A firm deploying these reprehensible practices, not paying rent or suppliers and towards the taxpayer, it is likely to behave in a less than perfect way towards its staff."

Mr Hellawell said that "wasn't fair".

Mr Davidson asked how hours were allocated and said there was evidence of staff having hours cut if they didn't sell enough re-usable bags.

Mr Hellawell said that shouldn't be the case.

He said: " If a manager is doing that, that's wrong we would stamp it out and deal with it firmly."

MR Davidson asked why Sports direct used zero hours more than other high street retailers and Mr Hellawell said it didn't others used them as much.

He said: We are probably not much different it's just that we are more noticeable because we are so big.

But when challenged for evidence he was unable to provide any adding: I can't provide that, I'm just saying that perhaps others use this flexibility also."

Mr Davidson said: "Perhaps they do perhaps they don't I am astonished that when I ask you why such large use you suggest others use them as well but you have no evidence for that."