A FURIOUS Hampshire mum is hoping her daughters' school will be forced to change its dress code following a ground-breaking legal challenge aimed at allowing girls to wear trousers instead of skirts.

Julie Kilbey, whose two daughters were involved in a sit-down protest over the uniforms issue at Arnewood School in New Milton, welcomed news of the court action launched by a mother in the north of England.

Mrs Kilbey believes the test case could put an end to what she claims is a policy of sexual discrimination at Arnewood in making girls wear skirts during freezing winter temperatures.

She said: "I hope that this will force the governors to rethink their position and perhaps even do something before they are forced to by a court.

"If this woman is successful it will set a precedent that the school will have to look at.

"My girls are looking to this woman and to the court case so that we are not forced to take any more action."

Last winter's playground protest at Arnewood has so far failed to over-turn policy at the 1,500-pupil grant maintained school, which has an enviable educational record.

Neither the headteacher nor governors' chairman were available for comment, but a school spokeswoman said the girls' trouser ban would again be in force this term.

The policy is in marked contrast to other schools in the New Forest, which allow girls to wear trousers.

Mrs Kilbey said she was delighted that the Equal Opportunities Commission were backing mum Claire Hale in her attempt to force Whickham Comprehensive in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, to allow her 13-year-old daughter Jo to wear trousers.

A spokeswoman for the commission said: "This is 1999 and a lot of women are allowed to wear trousers to work so why shouldn't a child be allowed to wear trousers to school

"We want to help her to get clarification on the reasons why girls should not be allowed to wear trousers and what this means about the stereotyped assumptions about girls."

Ms Hale decided upon legal action under the Sex Discrimination Act after school governors rejected her appeals to allow girls to wear trousers.

Males and females are allowed different dress codes under the Act, but only if it does not disadvantage either sex.

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