Sports Direct's Ashley criticised for pulling out of parliamentary grilling

LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) - The billionaire founder of British retailer Sports Direct Mike Ashley was criticised on Friday after pulling out of an appearance before a parliamentary committee to discuss the treatment of workers at his sportswear chain.

Ashley had been summoned to appear on June 7 but, in the latest twist of a long-running wrangle over his attendance, he wrote to the committee saying he would not attend because his legal representative was busy that day.

"We are very disappointed by this 11th-hour notification, having given him a notice period of three months to make the necessary arrangements," said Iain Wright, who chairs the Business Innovation and Skills committee.

"Does Mr Ashley, owning and operating a business in a parliamentary democracy, see himself as being beyond such public scrutiny? What has he got to be frightened of?"

The retailer has been criticised by some politicians for the treatment of workers at Shirebrook in the English midlands, the company's headquarters and main distribution warehouse, though it has rejected the charge that it effectively pays some staff below the national minimum wage.

In a letter dated June 2 and published on Friday, Ashley said legal representation at the committee was important because of issues around commercial confidence, and that he could not appear without his legal adviser.

Ashley, who has expressed concerns over whether he would get a fair hearing in front of the committee, had previously said he would appear if lawmakers first came to visit his firm's headquarters, an invitation which Wright rejected last week.

Parliament can in theory imprison a person for contempt, though its powers are untested in recent times, according to a government paper published in 2012. (Reporting by William James; Editing by David Holmes)