A Leicester fashion expert has called on shoppers to take more responsibility in choosing the clothes they buy.

Shirley Yanez, who runs a pre-loved shop and also sells new clothes made in Leicester, spoke out after police and government anti-slavery officials launched a major investigation into working conditions at clothing factories in the city.

The probe followed reports that some workers in the trade were being exploited and paid as little as 3.50 an hour.

People as consumers have to take some degree of personal responsibility in this matter, she said.

Shoppers need to think long and hard about how a top or a pair of leggings that costs them a few pounds can be made for that very low price.

Surely they most know that there is a possibility that someone somewhere has suffered or been exploited in some way to produce the item, for that price.

That is what fast fashion gives the consumer. Very cheap throwaway clothes that cost very little but at what human price? We need people to make a change. We need them to stop buying cheap throwaway clothes which only end up in a landfill site anyway."

Shirley is the boss of Venus Cow Ltd and runs her pre-loved designer label clothing shop in Francis Street, Stoneygate, and sells newly-made clothes online.

We have our leggings and other cotton staple products manufactured ethically on Saffron Lane in Leicester, she said.

We are proud to say that our Perfect Black Leggings cost 8 to produce and we sell them for 30. There needs to be more transparency like this in the business. Proper honest accountability.

We need the same sort of movement in fashion that we have seen in the food industry. There consumers rightly demanded to know who has produced their food and where it has been produced.

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) said it has found no evidence of modern slavery in visits it has made to Leicester textile firms in the past week.

The Government anti-slavery agency is one of the bodies investigating conditions in some of the 1,000 plus garment manufacturers in the city.

It follows reports that some workers in the trade were being exploited and paid as little as 3.50 an hour - below the minimum wage.

In a statement, the GLAA said it has been working to ensure that regulations are being followed in factories in Leicester during the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesperson said: It follows concerns about how some businesses in the city have been operating before and during the localised lockdown introduced by the government at the end of June.

Multi-agency visits involving officers from the GLAA, Leicestershire Police, Leicester City Council, National Crime Agency (NCA), Health and Safety Executive, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue and Immigration Enforcement have been carried out over the last week.

Officers from the different agencies spoke to business owners and workers to discuss concerns and provide advice around how protect workplaces from the risk of coronavirus. Further visits will be carried out in the coming weeks.

The GLAA said no enforcement has been used during the visits and officers have not at this stage identified any offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The National Crime Agency says it will pursue offenders and protect victims in its investigation into modern slavery in Leicesters textile trade.

We can confirm that it has received information regarding allegations of modern slavery and exploitation in the textile industry in Leicester," said an NCA spokesman.

Tackling modern slavery is one of our highest priorities, and we are committed to working with partners across law enforcement, the private, public and charity sector to pursue offenders and protect victims wherever they may be.

The HSE has however said it issued an improvement notice to a factory that was found not to working in Covid-secure conditions and is investigating two others.

Management at the Boohoo fashion giant have said they are grateful to the Sunday Times for highlighting alleged sweatshop conditions at a Leicester factory apparently making items for it.

The Manchester-based online retailer has been hit by suggestions that suppliers to it in Leicester were paying workers below the minimum wage - and making staff work through the lockdown.

Leicester retail giant Next and Asos have dropped Boohoo clothes from their websites.

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Leicester fashion expert calls on shoppers to stop buying 'cheap throwaway clothes' - Leicestershire Live