He has reported from over 126 countries and war zones including Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistani Kashmir, Northern Yemen, The Sudan, The Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Rwanda, Bosnia, China, Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.
In August 2009 during a two-month-long investigation for The Sunday Times of London into the manufacture of clothing for Gap Inc and Levi's, two of the world's leading retailers, McDougall uncovered a denim supplier to both firms inflicting an environmental catastrophe in Lesotho, one of Africa's poorest countries.
Through documentary photographic and video evidence gathered by The Scot in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, McDougall uncovered the release of effluents and dyes from a textile mill and factory operated by the Taiwanese Firm, Nien Hsing Textiles, the world's largest denim manufacturer, who supply tens of millions of pairs of jeans to both Gap and Levi's British and American customers, stained industrial residue that was spilling into water lifelines used by destitute families on a daily basis.
Levi Strauss also confirmed McDougall's allegations admitting that both water pollution and unsecured landfill sites were creating severe environmental issues in Maseru.
[6] McDougall himself and a number of international NGO's, including War on Want and World Vision, reacted to the decision with outrage, because Primark had been unable to undermine the main body of evidence which remains beyond dispute.
[8] During his investigations into child labour in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which have also shamed the major retailers Esprit and Heine Otto, McDougall has been regularly threatened and, an occasion, beaten attempting to force his way into sweatshops.
[10] Roy Greenslade, one of Britain's most respected media commentators, described the decision by the BBC Trust to uphold at least part of the complaint against Panorama over its programme on Primark as "baffling."
Mr Thomson added: “With millions of children being forced to work for a pittance, often in perilous conditions, including mines and quarries, as well as for the rag trade, the morally correct position for Primark would be to seek to address its own processes which have been highlighted by the BBC.” [11] The International NGO War on Want also reacted to the BBC Trust decision with dismay.
In a statement it reaffirmed that the programmes broader finding was not in dispute: “That Primark suppliers were exploiting workers who were made to work long hours for minimal pay.
Indeed, we released our own extensive research to this effect in two reports, in 2006 and 2008 – the second published not long after the Panorama film.” The NGO added: “War on Want is disappointed at the aggressive pursuit of the BBC by Primark’s lawyers, and believes the company’s resources would be better spent improving workers’ rights in its supply chain.