Supreme Court to rule over tax on bras for women who have had mastectomies

Lingerie company bosses are waiting for the result of a Supreme Court fight about tax on special bras worn by women who have had a mastectomy.

Bosses at Amoena say mastectomy bras should be exempt from European customs duty.

They lost a fight with HM Revenue and Customs in the Court of Appeal - then asked the the Supreme Court to analyse the case.

Five Supreme Court justices heard legal argument at a hearing in June and are due to deliver a ruling on Wednesday.

A Supreme Court spokesman said justices had analysed a European Union "combined nomenclature of customs classifications".

They had heard argument on whether a mastectomy bra was "a part of or accessory to a breast form" or "an orthopaedic appliance".

Amoena bosses said the firm's Carmen mastectomy bra was designed for women with prosthetic breasts and should be exempt from import duty.

They said the bra was designed for women who had undergone cancer surgery .

Lawyers for the firm argued that the bra was an artificial body part and not normal underwear - which would make it exempt.

Court of Appeal judges had ruled that the bra was not ''part of or accessory to a breast form''.