A shop has been forced to remove Union Jack labels from Harris Tweed products after furious Scots complained about them being labelled British.

Harris Tweed has been spun, dyed and handwoven by islanders in the Outer Hebrides for more than 150 years.

The famous Scottish cloth is protected by the Harris Tweed Authority and trademarked with a small orb symbol for authenticity.

But Scots were left fuming when they noticed its products being sold with Union Jack labels marked 'British tweed' at a shop called House of Aran in Inverness.

Shoppers shared the faux pas on social media, where the debate caught the attention of the HTA, which called for the shop to take the labels off.

Scottish shoppers were left fuming when they spotted traditional Harris Tweed being sold with Union Jack 'British tweed' labels at a shop in Inverness

Harris Tweed has been spun, dyed and handwoven by islanders in the Outer Hebrides for more than 150 years

Shoppers shared the faux pas on social media, where the debate caught the attention of the HTA

Twitter user @KilaulayBeach wrote: 'Imagine 'Champagne' relabelled 'French Sparkling Wine'. Do not allow this!'

The HTA, which was set up to safeguard the standard and reputation of Harris Tweed, has insisted the labels were added by the shop and not made by them.

One person wrote on Twitter: 'You should be angered by this ridiculous additional label stating 'British Tweed' which is both provocative and offensive.'

What is Harris Tweed and where is it made? Harris Tweed is a tweed cloth made from virgin wool and produced in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. It has been spun, dyed and woven on the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uis and Barra for centuries, but hit the mainstream market in 1846 after being commissioned by a wealthy aristocrat. It is made with pure virgin wool sheared from Cheviot and Scottish Blackface sheep on the Scottish isles and mainland. A special weaving process with multiple yarns makes the cloth unique. After a surge in demand for Harris Tweed in the early twentieth century, the Harris Tweed Authority was formed to ensure authenticity and high standards. All products are marked with a trademark orb symbol and today, every 50 metres of the cloth is checked by a HTA inspector before being stamped. It is only spun at three mills at Stornoway, Carloway and Shawbost, but sold across Scotland and the rest of the world. Advertisement

Another person added: 'You must take legal action to protect not only your branding but the integrity of your authority.'

A Twitter user wrote: 'Hand Woven in the Outer Hebrides of Great Britain.'

'Imagine if that's what it said on the label. Lewis and Harris would be in uproar! And so would everybody else...'.

One more furious commentator added: 'Seems that, by allowing the placement of Union Jack labels on Harris Tweed goods, you are failing in your remit to protect the Harris Tweed industry on behalf of the people of the Outer Hebrides.'

In a statement, the HTA said the labels had now been removed by the 'independent retailer or manufacturer' selling the products.

A spokesman for the HTA said: 'We've noticed, over the past 24 hours, a lot of reaction, and disappointment, to the labelling of certain Harris Tweed products with a Union Jack swing tag.

'The Union Jack and any other labelling on a product using Harris Tweed fabric is branding added by an independent retailer or manufacturer who has bought Harris Tweed and manufactured it into finished goods.

'Sadly, uninformed or misunderstood comments, re-shares and retweets are, in today's world, damaging to any brand, but perhaps are more so to our brand.'

They added on TwitterL 'The union jack & any other labelling on a product made using HT fabric is branding ADDED by an independent retailer or manufacturer who has bought HT & manufactured it into finished goods.

'The union jack labels/tags were NOT produced by us, or by any of the HT mills.'

The luxury textile was originally created on the Scottish islands of Lewis, Harris, Uis and Barra, and hit the mainstream market in 1846 after a commission by a wealthy aristocrat.

It is sold across Scotland and the rest of the world, but is only authentic when produced at one of the three Harris Tweed mills.

Another Twitter user demanded a response from the HTA, which called for the removal of the tags