H&M slaps ban on Aussie merino

NATIONAL: Australian Wool has been given the bum's rush by international clothing retailer H&M.

The Swedish-headquartered group has slapped a ban on Australian wool after bowing to pressure from animal rights welfare group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA complained the Australian wool industry had "reneged" on a promise to phase out the practice of mulesing sheep - a technique used by farmers to prevent flystrike - by 2010.

In an email allegedly sent to PETA, H&M head of environment and corporate social responsibility, said she would start looking for non-mulesed wool alternatives immediately.

"We will look for other countries of origin than Australia and we will not investigate any certifications or other ways to prove that merino wool from Australia originates from farms that are not practising mulesing."

In welcoming the move, PETA said the company's decision would "hasten the day" when the Australian Wool Industry was seen as nothing but "lamb mutilators and sheep abusers".