Fashion retailer Boohoo put ‘Made in UK’ label on clothes made in Asia

The company said the mislabelling was an ‘isolated incident’ and was a result of ‘human error’.

Retailer Boohoo mislabelled items of clothing made in South Asia as ‘Made in the UK’, the BBC has found (PA) (PA Archive)

Retailer Boohoo has been found to have mislabelled items of clothing made in South Asia as “Made in the UK”, according to the BBC.

A Panorama investigation found the company removed the original labels on T-shirts and hoodies at the retailer’s controversial factory at Thurmaston Lane in Leicester between January and October last year.

A spokesman for Boohoo said: “This was an isolated incident, which impacted less than 1% of the group’s global garments intake.

“These errors were found to be the result of human error and we have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again.”

Boohoo is considering closing its Leicester factory and relocating operations.

The company said fewer than 100 employees at the Thurmaston Lane factory may be affected by the closure and it expects “some roles will be relocated”.

The clothing retailer said the plans to shut the site are not related to the findings of the Panorama investigation, adding that due to “significant investments” at its Sheffield and US distribution centres, it must take steps to ensure it is a “more efficient, productive and strengthened business”.

In November last year, a Panorama investigation claimed an undercover reporter working for the business found employees pressuring suppliers to reduce prices even after deals had been agreed and that Boohoo Group’s Leicester factory had been subcontracting orders to Morocco.

It comes around three years after the company overhauled its ethical practices after a supply chain scandal and allegations over factory staff pay and working conditions.

Boohoo said at the time of the initial Panorama investigation that it “has not shied away from dealing with the problems of the past and we have invested significant time, effort and resource into driving positive change across every aspect of our business and supply chain”.