NewsJohn Lewis, Next and Dunelm Mill sold beds and mattresses made by 'slave workforce' in Dewsbury and Batley, court toldA jury has been told that the Hungarians were provided to Kozee Sleep by Janos Orsos and his people-trafficking organisation to work at the firm's factory in Dewsbury and its subsidiary, Layzee Sleep, in Batley Ethical audits by a series of leading high street retailers failed to spot that a supplier was employing a "slave workforce" in the UK, a jury has been told. Large numbers of Hungarian nationals were employed by bed-making firm Kozee Sleep which supplied firms including John Lewis, Next and Dunelm Mill, Leeds Crown Court heard today. Three men connected to the West Yorkshire business have gone on trial accused of people trafficking. A jury has been told that the Hungarians were provided to Kozee Sleep by Janos Orsos and his people-trafficking organisation to work at the firm's factory in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury and its subsidiary, Layzee Sleep, in Batley. Prosecutors said company owner Mohammed Rafiq and two other men who had positions within the firm - Mohammed Patel and Mohammed Dadhiwala - knew that workers supplied to them by Orsos were trafficked.
Christopher Tehrani QC, prosecuting, told the jury: "Kozee Sleep provided some of the UK's largest retailers with beds and mattresses either directly or through intermediary companies. "These companies included Next Plc, the John Lewis Partnership and Dunelm Mill. "As part of the contract, Kozee Sleep was required to adhere to each company's policies re ethical trading, which included how they treated persons who worked on their premises." Mr Tehrani said each firm conducted regular ethical audits prior to May 2014 but he said: "Nothing untoward had been uncovered during those audits." The prosecutor has told the jury: "The prosecution submit that the three defendants were involved with Janos Orsos and his human trafficking organisation to source them cheap slave labour to work at Kozee Sleep and Layzee Sleep factories. "The prosecution case is that the three defendants were aware of the circumstances of the Hungarian nationals who were working at these sites and went along with their exploitation as a slave workforce for their own and others' gain."
Rafiq, 60, of Thorncliffe Road, Staincliffe, Patel, 40, of Carr Side Crescent, Batley, and Dadhiwala, 46, of Upper Mount Street, Batley Carr, all deny a single count of conspiracy to traffic individuals within the UK. Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDaily NewsletterFollow @ExaminerSubscribe to our Daily newsletterEnter email We know what works for you 38 years of award winning experience, crafting beds and mattresses - with no middle men. Superior service, quality & price direct from our London workshop. Handmade in London crafted quality Delivered by us within days Assembled for you by our craftsmen Find a bed worthy of your dreams. Our quality, hand-crafted, solid bed frames are lovingly delivered from our London workshop to your bedroom. Find your perfect mattress Our award winning mattress range has been carefully designed to suit your needs. We deliver to the room of your choice straight from our London workshop via our day evening delivery service.
Explore our collection of bedroom furniture made in our London workshop using traditional joinery, beautifully finished and delivered to you in days. Learn how to get back in tune with your natural rhythm and restore your sleep settings with our new guide. Our customers love us! What it's like being a customer “Very easy to deal with, friendly, helpful staff. “Fantastic service, from order through to delivery and assembly. High quality products that I expect will last me many years” “Good quality products, polite customer service, arrange delivery promptly and turn up when they say they will. “We bought our first bed and mattress from you 18 years ago. After all this time they both still look like new. “Everything from the ordering to the delivery has been brilliant. My bed is both beautiful and super-comfortable. A great all round experience.” Choose good shoes and a good bed, if you're not in one, you're in the other. The best way I ensure quality is to manage every aspect of production from start to finish.
We don't ship products thousands of miles, so I can control the quality of FSC® wood, mattress fillers, workmanship, and deliveries - direct to you from our London workshop. Buying direct from the craftsman is always better value. After 30 years handcrafting beds in Central London, we know our way around the bedroom. We're pure at heart Real wood, ethically sourced & no nasty toxins. Don't invite anything less into your home. We've got more 'green' awards than any other UK furniture retailer. Handmade in London for less We make all our beds to order. Since we don't ship or store lots of stock, you get best-of-breed quality for way less. That's the beauty of buying locally. Clean curved lines meet solid design for a bed with great character £585 Sale £445£11.18 per month* A sleek and refined answer to studio living £535 Sale £248£6.23 per month* Float on a contemporary space-saving cloud £805 Sale £375£9.42 per month*
A timeless classic with a laid-back elegance £640 Sale £298£7.49 per month*Before you rush out to buy furniture for your rental property, think very carefully about what you need and even if it’s really necessary to provide any furniture at all. About half of all prospective tenants are looking for unfurnished accommodation and furnishing a property does not generally increase the amount of rent you can charge. Speak to local letting agents about the type of tenant your property is likely to attract and get their opinion on what items, if any, you need to buy. Families and young couples might not want any furniture at all; students, by contrast, will want the property fully furnished; and a single person is more likely to be looking for part-furnished. If you’re unsure what your market is, you could always leave your property unfurnished but make it clear in your advertising that you’re prepared to provide some items on request. If you let to students, you’ll need to provide a bed and wardrobe in every bedroom, a sofa, dining table and chairs.
If you let via a college or university it will probably insist on a desk in every bedroom. Ikea is a good source of affordable furniture for student lets. Neutrals work: John Lewis has sofas from £299 and sofa beds from £175. Any furniture you provide should be easy to clean and hard-wearing Corporate tenants usually want properties to be comfortable, at least part-furnished, with a bed, sofa, dining table and chairs. If you’re letting your property on a short lease of less than six months, you’ll probably need to make it more homely with extra items such as coffee tables, rugs and some artwork — but don’t include anything valuable or irreplaceable. Make sure everything you buy is hard-wearing, easy to clean and, if you’re letting budget or student accommodation, cheap to replace. Keep colours neutral and avoid overpersonalising with “statement” items that might put people off. Think modern, fresh, simple and, above all, well lit and warm. Go for sofas with removable covers that can be machine-washed, or real or faux leather you can wipe clean.
Divan beds should last longer than flimsy bedframes and think storage — beds with built-in drawers provide extra. Supplying mattress protectors will extend mattress life. Hygena's Amparo table and chairs, above, £99.99 is a good compact buy for smaller homes where space is at a premium It’s a legal requirement that all soft and upholstered furnishings in rental homes, including mattresses and sofas, are fire-resistant so make sure they have a fire-safety label attached. If they don’t, check with the retailer that they comply with regulations. Several firms sell off-the-shelf furniture packages for different budgets and types of tenant. They aren’t the cheapest option but they’re good for landlords who are short of time or inspiration. David Phillips also offers a convenient next-day delivery and assembly service within the M25. Tidy minds: the Malm Ottoman bed from Ikea, £329, has storage underneath You can save money by picking up used furniture on websites such as Gumtree, at auction and in second-hand shops but it’s better to leave a property unfurnished than fill it with tatty or mismatched items.
Buy cheap ready-made curtains online or at department stores. John Lewis has a good line. Inspect all second-hand sofas, mattresses or other fabric-covered items to make sure they don’t harbour bedbugs. For the telltale signs, visit rentokil.co.uk/bed-bugs. For smaller properties, look for space-saving flexi furniture such as dining tables that fold down and sofa beds. If you can’t fit in chests of drawers or cupboards, put up shelves. In bedrooms, look for under-the-bed storage boxes, such as those at Ikea. Light and bright: blinds rather than curtains, make a room look bigger. John Lewis has a big choice, from £8 for The Basics range. The above are blinds in Jane Churchill's Larkin fabric, from £35 a metre available in store Blinds instead of curtains will make rooms look more spacious, but curtains are actually easier to clean when your tenants move on. Try to avoid including electrical appliances such as lamps, toasters and microwaves as you will be responsible for keeping them in good repair and you could be held liable if they are faulty.