THE PRIMARK budget clothing chain, which operates as Penneys in the Republic, has said it will stop buying clothes from three factories in India because they used child labour.

The firm, owned by Associated British Foods, said the suppliers did not meet its ethical standards for working conditions.

The factories in southern India had subcontracted some embroidery and sequin stitching to firms not approved by Primark, the clothing retailer said yesterday.

The subcontractors employed adults and children to work from home, according to an investigation carried out by Primark, after it received information from the BBC.

The garments accounted for 0.04 per cent of Primark’s supply, the retailer said in the release.

It added that “the sub-contracting involved home working and in some instances children were also found to be working at home . . . We take this lapse in standards very seriously indeed, said Primark.

The brand operates 170 outlets in the UK and 36 in the Republic.

“Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities, whether directly through its suppliers or through third party sub-contractors,” the company said.

Almost all of Primark’s range is sourced from low-cost suppliers in Asia, allowing the firm to sell high-fashion clothing at very low prices to its customers.

The garments affected by the child labour issue have been removed from the company’s stores, it said. – (Additional reporting Bloomberg)