A factory owner who employed large numbers of Hungarians as a "slave workforce" to supply beds to top high-street retailers has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for people trafficking.

The conviction of "pillar of the community" Mohammed Rafiq is reported to be the first of a company boss for human trafficking offences in the UK.

Some of those he illegally brought into the UK were crammed into a house in Little Horton, Bradford.

The trial of Mohammed Rafiq heard how Mark Kovacs came to the UK in January 2013. He was put in a two bedroom house in Rand Place, Bradford.

Prosecutor Christopher Tehrani QC Tehrani said: "There were mattresses in every room. During the four months he lived in this property, Mr Kovacs estimates that between 25 and 42 people were living in the premises at any one time."

VERDICT GIVEN IN TRIAL OF FACTORY OWNER WHO EMPLOYED HUNGARIANS AS 'SLAVE WORKFORCE'

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Mr Kovacs escaped with the help of a charity called Hope for Justice.

Rafiq, 60, sourced the Hungarian nationals at his bed-making factory, Kozee Sleep, in Dewsbury, for cheap slave labour, making them work up to 16 hours a day for as little as £10 per week.

Rafiq, who was described as having "a spectacular fall from grace" within his religious community, was aware of the men's circumstances yet went along with their exploitation as a slave workforce.

His firm Kozee Sleep and its subsidiary Layzee Sleep, in Batley, were to supply household names including Next Plc, the John Lewis Partnership and Dunelm Mill who despite carrying out regular ethical audits failed to spot what was going on.

As part of the defendant's contract with the companies he was required to adhere to each of their policies regarding ethical trading, including how persons who worked on their premises were treated.

At Leeds Crown Court today, Judge Christopher Batty said that having listened to the evidence of witnesses during the trial, it was apparent "just how upset and how affected the witnesses were and the number of them who were reduced to tears".

An investigation into the trafficking began at the Dewsbury-based firm and its subsidiary after two Hungarians, Janos Orsos and Ferenc Illes, were arrested over human trafficking allegations.

Rafiq, of Thorncliffe Road, Staincliffe, was convicted in January of a single count of conspiracy to traffic individuals within the UK.

At a previous hearing, Orsos was sentenced to five years in prison for trafficking offences, and Illes three years.

Upon the Hungarian nationals' arrival in the UK they were promised good wages, housing and food yet once in West Yorkshire, they found themselves living in shared, cramped and squalid accommodation.

The court heard how the men would work up to 16 hours per day for between £10 and £20 per week.

Judge Batty told Rafiq: "You entered into an agreement with Orsos, Orsos is a ruthless Hungarian gangmaster who preyed upon those who were suffering in his homeland at a time when the economy was in disarray.

"For his hideous exploitation to succeed he needed businessmen to employ his workers, yours was one of those businesses. You knew that they had been trafficked into this country, you yourself intended to exploit them.

"I'm satisfied that you agreed to pay £3 per hour for labour. You accepted the cheap labour that he found you regardless of how they were being treated. I'm satisfied you did nothing to help, you did not care."