--------------------------------------------------

Aheda Zanetti, who launched the leg- and head-covering polyester swimsuit in 2003, said she was not surprised at reports a 35-year-old French woman was banned from her local swimming pool after turning up in a full-length swimsuit.

Ms Zanetti said her burqini was banned in almost every country she exported to before authorities had reconsidered and relaxed the bans.

"The Netherlands just approved it after discriminating against it, it's approved in Germany, Sweden, Austria," she said from the Zahiida company office in Sydney's south-west.

"They banned it for a long time and it's only in the last couple of years that that's stopped.