Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley faces grilling from MPs

Mr Ashley has said he intends to defend Sports Direct's good name Credit: PA

Mike Ashley, the boss of Sports Direct, is due to face questions from MPs over working conditions at his company.

Mr Ashley will appear before the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee later this morning.

The billionaire had previously refused invitations from the committee and was facing a parliamentary summons.

The committee is interested in examining working practices at Sports Direct's Shirebrook warehouse.

Those include reports of poor working conditions, the use of zero-hours contracts and allegations that some workers are paid less than the minimum wage.

Mr Ashley, who had offered committee members the opportunity to visit the Shirebrook warehouse, has said he has "nothing to hide".

In a letter to the committee chair Iain Wright, explaining his change of heart in appearing before the committee, he said he would take questions in order "to defend the good name of Sports Direct on behalf of all of the great people who work here".