Penneys operator Primark says an incident earlier this month - in which a label appeared to be stitched into a dress complaining about being over-worked - was a hoax.

A girl reportedly found the words 'forced to work exhausting hours' sewn inside a dress she bought in their Swansea store.

But in a statement today, Primark said "Our investigation into the labels sewn onto two garments bought separately from our Swansea store in 2013, has led us to the conclusion that it is more likely than not, to have been a hoax carried out in the UK".

It believes the labels - on two different garments - were from the same source.

'Forced to work exhausting hours' - a hoax, says Primark

"It is almost impossible to imagine circumstances in which such similar labels could have been sewn onto the garments at the factory where they were made, given that they were made by different suppliers, in different factories, on different continents, one in Romania and the other in India, thousands of miles apart".

But it says both garments carrying the hoax labels were bought in the Swansea store.

Separately, Primark says it is continuing to investigate the discovery of a note in a pair of cropped trousers in Northern Ireland in 2009 - with investigations being carried out in the UK and China.

They are investigating whether there may be any link to the hoax Swansea labels.