CLOTHING retailers and manufacturers are warning of turmoil in the industry following a legal ruling in Whitehall that they will have to go metric. Britain has been told it will be in breach of European regulations if clothes continue using imperial measurements.
Plans are already well advanced for an Oct 1 switch to metric labelling on packaged foods and other goods sold in Britain by weight or volume.
Retailers ignoring the law face a £5,000 fine under weights and measures regulations. But officials said "an enormous number of misdemeanours" would be necessary for such a penalty.
This autumn's metric move will mark a signficant milestone in the long march away from imperial measurements that began in the 1960s. Britain has obtained a special derogation from Europe to keep the pint measurement for pub beer and bottled milk and to retain the statute mile.
Under a directive aimed at embedding the European single market, from October labelling of pre-packaged food must display metric measurements more prominently than imperial, which will be allowed to continue provided they are not dominant. Loose food will not need to go metric until the end of the century.
It was assumed that clothes - which use the imperial system as indicators for collar and waist sizes rather than precise measurement - would be exempt. Other goods that may fall foul of the Units of Measurement directive include paint brushes and even lawn-mowers.
Mr James May, director-general of the British Retail Consortium, said the new legal advice came as a bolt from the blue. He added: "Until a few weeks ago, their interpretation was that the use of imperial measurements for these other goods were not caught by the directive. But some bright spark in the Law Officer's department has now decided this is wrong."
Whitehall officials said retailers and manufacturers would be given time to make the changes.
Mr May said: "Labels would have to be changed and catalogues for mail order traders amended. The whole thing is a right mess and potentially very expensive."
They have already held meetings with Earl Ferrers, consumer affairs minister, and Mr Tim Eggar, who has responsibility at the Department of Trade and Industry for the textile industry. Further meetings are planned for next week.
Mr May added: "If the advice is upheld, we will need an extended period of time to comply. We cannot do it by October."
A DTI spokesman said some manufacturers, such as Marks and Spencer, already included metric and imperial measurements for clothes sizes, though the directive would require them to make metric more prominent.
"But the most important thing is that dress sizes and shoe sizes will not have to be changed on Oct 1," the spokesman added. "It would be necessary to give people time to make the changes."
In fact, the British Retail Consortium said that dress sizes - which do not use the imperial system - will not be affected. Traditional unit sizes such as 10 and 12 are believed to be exempt for the ruling.
Government officials sought to play down the fines that will apply for any breach of the directive once it becomes law for pre-packaged foods and other volume goods.
There are labelling regulations carrying a maximum penalty of a £5,000 fine which are policed by trading standards officers.
"They are not going to go to the little man in the corner shop and haul him off to court on Day One if he still has goods that are incorrectly labelled," said an official.
"They are more likely to give him advice on how to alter the labels or to get rid of the goods."
The prospect of a swifter-than-anticipated move to widespreadmetrication angered Euro-sceptic Tories last night.
Mr Bill Cash, MP for Stafford, said: "This will build up enormous resentment. Day by day, our point is made and the Government will have to decide soon where to put a stop to it."
