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"We were starting at nine o'clock in the morning and finishing sometimes at eight at night. "We were working six days a week, seven days a week. We had to struggle to earn a living."

Lucian, a worker from Romania, recounts his experience of selling cosmetics - not in his home country, but in one of Britain's leading department stores.

Lucian says his lack of income meant he was living on a diet of cheap biscuits, but he believes he was misled over just how lucrative his new job would be.

"Our salary was only commission based, but I didn't know that until I got to England."

Now back home in Romania, it seems Lucian's experience is not an isolated case.

On the highstreet

The BBC has learned that Romanian workers are selling cosmetics for well below the minimum wage, in a major high street stores throughout the UK.

The brand is called 'Ever Since', and can be found on concession stands in Debenhams stores from Manchester to Belfast, and on Oxford Street in London.

A luxury range of products created from Dead Sea minerals, it seems ideal fodder for the hoards of Christmas shoppers piling through Debenhams' doors at this time of year.

Recruited by an agency called Inspire the UK, staff sign a contract that describes them as 'self employed'.

Inspire the UK operates the concessions in Debenhams stores, and recruits the workers on behalf of Danbar International Ltd, which supplies the Ever Since brand.

Listed as separate companies, Danbar International and Inspire the UK share the same registered address.

When BBC 5 live's Donal MacIntyre show contacted Inspire the UK to respond to the programme's investigation, they received a response from Andrew Dickson, the Managing Director of Danbar Ltd.

Mr. Dickson told the BBC that "where English is not an agent's primary language, all communication is in their native tongue so that there is no misunderstanding of the contract or the terms of their appointment...more.

Sursa: BBC.co.uk