Government inspectors have stopped renovation work on a former Jesuit monastery in Limburg because of the miserable conditions the 10 builders were living in and a string of labour law infringements.

The men, from Belarus, Moldavia and Poland, were living in a room with no heating and sharing ‘extremely filthy’ kitchen and bathroom facilities. They claim to have been paid €800 a month for 50 to 60 hours work a week.

In addition, the scaffolding they were using to carry out the work was unsafe and asbestos had been released into the air, inspectors said.

They also say it is likely some of the men did not have proper papers to work in the Netherlands. The nine men from Belarus and Moldavia were all in the Netherlands on Polish visas.

The Boslust monastery had been empty for years and was bought by a project developer last year. The inspectors were called in by the local Valkenburg council.

As yet it is unclear what the new owners’ plans are for the massive complex. The previous owners had planned to turn it into a 220 room hotel.