It is far too easy to run lawbreaking businesses in Britain

Always judge a man by his shoes. What works as a rule of thumb for fashionistas also works for people rooting out dodgy employers in Britain. The best way to check whether a car wash is legitimate is to look at the workers’ feet, says Mary Creagh, the chair of Ethical Trading Initiative, which looks at labour abuses. A legal operation will have workers in proper boots, as they scrub vehicles by hand. A dodgy one will see poor souls scrubbing cars in soaking trainers. If a business is skimping on wellies, it is probably breaking other rules—whether paying below the minimum wage or hiring people who do not have the right to work in Britain.