Boohoo has announced that it plans to open its own garment factory in Leicester. John Lyttle, Boohoo's Chief Executive told the Mail on Sunday that the online fast-fashion retailer planned to set up a "model factory" employing up to 250 workers in a joint venture with one of its existing suppliers. The group has purchased the site of a former car showroom in the city to open the model factory  

The announcement comes as the group battles to rebuild its reputation after claims that workers at a Leicester garment factory that supplied Boohoo were paid only £3.50 an hour and were allegedly not provided with protective masks. Lyttle said supply chain working practices exposed by the media had been "upsetting". "If there's stuff wrong in Leicester I'd rather find and fix it, not run for the hills."