NEWCASTLE United owner, Mike Ashley, has agreed to appear before MPs next month to answer questions about conditions at his Sports Direct firm.

The agreement is based on the condition that they visit the factory first.

The announcement was made by the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee led by Hartlepool MP Iain Wright, which has been locked in a row with the retail chain's founder over his reluctance to appear before them.

It has threatened to exercise historic - and largely untested - powers to hold him in contempt of Parliament if he fails to submit himself for questioning on June 7.

The probe by MPs relates to allegations raised by the Guardian newspaper last year and its efforts to hear from Mr Ashley have sparked a bitter war of words.

He responded to a previous request to give evidence by suggesting that the committee was "a joke" and its order an "abuse of the parliamentary process".

A Sports Direct spokesman said: "We can confirm that Mike Ashley has agreed to attend Westminster - provided that the committee members visit the Shirebrook premises in advance to see employment conditions and practices with their own eyes."

He has even offered to fly the MPs to Derbyshire in his helicopter.

The MPs have previously insisted Mr Ashley answer all their questions on the record in public.

The committee will discuss the letter at its meeting next week.