A COMPANY that turned to eastern Europe to find people to pick its mushrooms is helping to run English lessons for employees.

Greyfriars UK, based at Wath, near Ripon, opened a recruitment office in Latvia earlier this year after struggling to find workers locally because of low unemployment levels.

The company said that although many of the foreign employees have good textbook English, their vocabulary does not include the phrases and basic rules of everyday conversation.

Greyfriars is now providing a minibus and a venue for employees to attend English as a second language lessons through Ripon College. The lessons cover everyday situations and also offer advice on issues ranging from completing Inland Revenue forms, to road tax and car insurance requirements.

English teacher Susan Stead said: "It's a real privilege to teach these students, because they are so receptive and help each other every step of the way."

Managing director John Smith said: "Our company is built on the efforts of our employees, therefore it's only fair to help them progress as much as we can.

"Improving our foreign workers' standard of English helps to build our team spirit, because everyone can communicate on the same level."