Activists protested outside Sports Direct in Stoke Newington on Saturday over the retail giant’s “disgraceful” working conditions.

An independent review into the firm’s working practices is set to be published ahead of Wednesday’s AGM on the back of a report by MPS that found staff were “not treated as humans”.

It is said that one pregnant worker even went to work during labour, afraid of losing work if she took a day off. She gave birth in a toilet.

Stoke Newington activist Vicki Hird, led the protest. She said: “Sports Direct’s working practices are disgraceful. Workers face constant harassment, are subject to daily body searches and penalised for spending too long in the toilet. “Employed on precarious contracts, they face a daily fight to survive with dignity and are unable to challenge exploitation and abuse for fear of losing their jobs.

In Sports Direct’s quest to maximise its profits, workplace rights are shamefully thrown out the window.”

The company said it had committed to publishing the independent report. It will be followed by an external evaluation of the board later this year.