Tesco fails to halt jeans rip-off

The rip-off price of bigbrand clothes in Britain is here to stay after a High Court judge ruled today that Tesco could not import Levi jeans from the US to sell at a discount price here.

The test case means big brand and designer clothing firms retain the right to charge different prices in different countries, forcing British customers to pay more - in some cases more than double - what they would have to pay in America.

A pair of Levi's can cost less than £20 in the US, but sell for up to £55 here. A spokesman for "disappointed" Tesco said the store may appeal, and added: "We are hoping the Government may start to lobby for change."

Supermarkets already sell designer goods at discount prices, but this is excess stock bought from other EU countries, as they cannot import from outside the EU.

Tesco failed to convince the judge that Levi's had abused its human right to buy clothes at cheap prices. Levi said after the case: "The Levi brand is the most valuable asset we have. It is a definitive win for brand owners."