London, Jul 31 (IANS): 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.