A CHARITY boss who is accused human trafficking and forcing people to work for him insists he explained the terms of employment to all his staff.

Nerijus Gudelevicius told a jury that he had been upfront about what they could earn before any of them started in their jobs.

And the 34-year-old said he had not forced anyone to hand over their passport but took them as security against loans he had made.

Gudelevicius, of Melrose Close, Westlea, denies two counts of people trafficking and four of requiring a person to perform forces of compulsory labour.

It is alleged he 'coaxed penniless Lithuanian nationals' with promises of jobs and accommodation only to put them in a house with no heating and hot water and forced them to work for low pay.

Giving evidence at his trial at Swindon Crown Court he was asked by his barrister, Sarah Wood, if he misled his staff.

Speaking through Lithuanian interpreter he replied: "Certainly not. Everything was fully explained to them: everything is how it is."

Commenting about what he told one of the men he said: "All the explanations were very detailed and he would really understand everything."

He said that each person, who would be self-employed, was told they would have to distribute 1,000 empty bags a day in an area marked on a map they would be given.

When the bags, which householders filled with unwanted clothes, were collected the worker would receive £1 for each one on their patch.

Asked if he promised what level wages would be, he said: "I can't promise it to anyone because I never know how many bags will be collected and I can never promise anything to anyone."

He said he gave wages either every week, every two weeks or every three weeks, depending on when he got paid.

If the person required accommodation he said he would put them up in a two bed terrace in Hunt Street, charging them £40 a week.

He said when he learned the hot water was not working he spoke to the letting agent who he rented the property from for £645 a month to try and get it fixed.

Gudelevicius said he had taken the passport of worker Egidijus Paragalgauskas as security after he had lent him money to buy food.

He said he had met the fellow countryman for the first time when he picked him up from Bristol and brought him to Hunt Street before his first day at work.

"As soon as he arrived at the address he asked for some money for food. You will probably understand that I saw that person for the first time," he said.

"I ask him to leave me some kind of security like for example a mobile phone just to make sure he will give me that money back later on.

"He told me that 'I haven't got anything'. I told him don't get upset with me but I am not able to give any money to a person I see for the first time.

"Then he told me 'You can take my ID documents. When I will give you money back you will give me ID'."

But he said he only returned his passport when the police got involved after Mr Paragalgauskas called them to say his boss had stolen his passport, which he denied.

Gudelevicius denies all the charges and the case continues.