Fruit farm workers living in 'damp' and 'unsafe' caravans

Some fruit farm workers are living in damp, overcrowded and unsafe caravans, according to a charity supporting them.

BBC Scotland News has seen a video filmed at JP Gray & Son, near Carnoustie in Angus, that appears to show a wet carpet, a leaking toilet and mouldy window frames.

One worker told us there were five people in his caravan and the conditions were "terrible" and "cold".

JP Gray & Son is part of Angus Growers which said the farm acknowledges this should not have happened and it is working to strengthen reporting and resolution.

Every year, tens of thousands of people from different countries come to the UK temporarily on a seasonal worker visa.

Many pick soft fruit like raspberries and blueberries and pay to live in on-site caravans.

One worker from Central Asia – who has asked not to be identified - told BBC Scotland News that at one point earlier this year there were five people living in his caravan and he was paying more than £60 per week.

"In the caravans it was terrible, cold," he said.

"Coming from work, we were putting on hats. We were sleeping in sweaters… with trousers and socks on."

He said he did not want the farm to get into trouble, but he did want change.

"Our people from Central Asia come here to earn money," he added. "I want them to stay in better conditions than us."

The video, seen by BBC Scotland News, appears to show a caravan with doors and windows that do not shut properly and gaps around the toilet pipe which leads outside.

It also shows mouldy window frames, the carpet on the floor appears to squelch with water as it is trodden on and the back of the toilet is leaking.

Caroline Robinson, director of the Worker Support Centre, a charity helping isolated workers in Scotland, said the fresh produce industry would fall apart without seasonal workers.

But she said that some are living in "really poor quality accommodation" that is damp, cold, wet and "in certain circumstances unsafe" when people are sharing rooms and cannot lock facilities.

"What we're finding is people aren't able to sleep at night because of these conditions but also because they're cramped," she said.

Ms Robinson said this was a problem across the UK although some farms do provide good quality accommodation.

The Worker Support Centre said no authority took responsibility for checking seasonal worker accommodation.

It is calling on the Scottish government to intervene and lead the way in the UK.

"What we want to see is for the standards that actually already exist in a 30-year-old piece of legislation - the Housing Scotland Act 1987 - to be implemented," Ms Robinson said.

"That means local authorities introducing standards for this accommodation and it also means now the Scottish government taking a role in that as well."

JP Gray & Son is one of 16 farms that make up Angus Growers.

JP Gray did not respond directly to BBC Scotland News' questions but a spokesperson for Angus Growers said accommodation was inspected weekly and the issues shown in the video did not meet the standard it expects.

A spokesperson said: "Where problems arise in between inspections, workers are able to report those for more immediate resolution.

"The farm acknowledges this should not have happened and we are working with the farm to strengthen the reporting and resolution process.

"We appreciate that the worker expressed that he did not want the farm to get into trouble and wanted improvements for future workers.

"Angus Growers are focused on ensuring those improvements are made."

First Minister John Swinney told the BBC he was satisfied that there was strong enough legislation in Scotland to regulate the quality of accommodation.

"It then has to be monitored and regulated at a local level by local authorities," he said.

Swinney said he would "engage in dialogue with local authorities" about their regulatory responsibilities.

Angus Council said it did licence seasonal worker caravan sites and inspect them in accordance with the licence conditions, but those conditions do not extend to inside caravans.

In relation to JP Gray & Son, it said it was licensed to operate from 1 January until 30 November 2025 and was last inspected in July this year.