X casual employee in trouble. please HELP

I was employed for aprox. 7 days as casual. I rang up and quite over the phone, because I felt very uneasy about job and wasn't given enough instruction on the first and only shift I did.

I am very keen to still work in the industry and am looking for employment.

Now a few weeks later I get a phone call from my X employers saying that I'm not aloud to work in the field or line of work anywhere in a 100 km. radius of them. Apparently i signed a contract saying "If I leave there company, I will not be aloud to work in the industry, for anyone, in 100 km. of their building"

Now whats the go with that. They said If I do (get employed by anyone else in the same industry or field) they will find out and I will be hearing from their Solicitors.

Can someone please give advise.. ?
Please thanks to anyone who can explain whats going on.

Thank you

Thanks guys problem resolved! Found out it's totally ilegal, in my case. They don't have a leg to stand on.

Did you sign a contract? Do you have a copy of it? If not contact these people and ask them for a copy. If they will not supply it, ignore them.

They can do this, but usually it is only for a certain amount of time. Without getting into detail, was it a specialized company you worked for? I do not hear of this that often anymore. Especially after you were only there for 7 days, how much secret information could you have been shown? They could waste money on an attorney if you did get another job close by, but they may not since you did not work there very long. I know hindsight is a great thing, but make sure you read everything next time.

It's called a non-compete agreement. Some employers take it more seriously than others. If you find a job in the field, I'd have a long talk with the HR department before agreeing to take it,

Next time read your contract before signing