In the meantime, some big retailers are having to limit their organic clothing to particular (often small) items such as babywear, or to blend organic cotton with other fibres.

ECONOMIST: Ethically minded shoppers turn their focus to cotton

The traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering are employed by women of the Li ethnic group of Hainan Province, China, to make cotton, hemp and other fibres into clothing and other daily necessities.

UNESCO: Culture

However, on Monday it was revealed that a new report carried out on behalf of HSE by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) - which carries out scientific research - that the method of testing carried out by Santia could "overestimate the levels of asbestos fibres as it does not distinguish between asbestos fibres and other fibres such as paper, clothing and skin cells".

BBC: Asbestos: More concerns over Cwmcarn High School future

This period offers the best opportunity of gathering evidence against criminals who may not yet have been able to dispose of weapons, clothing and equipment containing DNA, fibres and other forensic leads.

BBC: Q&A: Omagh GCHQ intelligence

However, other reports since have said the level of airborne fibres was much lower than previously thought.

BBC: Asbestos: Cwmcarn school repairs could cost up to ?1.5m

Half the fibres contain one ingredient and half contain the other.

ECONOMIST: Monitor

The devaluation of currencies allows other Asian countries to cut export prices, especially in plastics and synthetic fibres.

ECONOMIST: India