Women in Britain's offices have been banned from wearing mini-skirts to work, and people involved in 'customer-facing roles' have been told to look more professional 'in a way that shows respect to children and families'.

Around 400 staff in Southampton City Council's children's services department received a memo telling them they should dress respectfully and 'carefully consider their work attire', the Daily Mail reported.

Council bosses said in the memo that women wearing mini-skirts could be sent home, while men have been advised to wear 'collared or polo shirts, cotton trousers such as khakis or chinos with a belt'.

Women can wear trousers, informal dresses or skirts of 'reasonable' length, but 'not mini-skirts'.

'Please try to dress smartly and thoughtfully, in line with other professionals you come across in your day-to-day work, and in a way that shows respect to children and families,' it said.

Women, however, have threatened to fight the ban, as one of them said: 'Are they going to come around with a tape measure?'

'I would have thought the council has got better things to do than impose a regimented approach to what people wear,' said Mike Tucker, secretary of a union.