A MOTHER-of-two has had to change the name of her Bournemouth fabric shop after being threatened with legal action by a multi-national firm.

Sara Diffey set up Zara’s Fabrics in March, but just four months later she received a letter from lawyers acting for Inditex, the Spanish owner of clothing giant Zara, threatening a lawsuit and injunction.

In the letter, Taylor Wessing LLP claimed that there was ‘a high risk of confusion and the potential for deception’ as her trading name was ‘very similar’ to Zara and in use for the sale of ‘identical or similar’ goods.

The firm added: “Innocence is not a defence here.”

“I was very shocked, I thought it must be a joke at first as it was so ridiculous,” said Mrs Diffey, 51.

“A lady there called me and we had a conversation about my huge empire. They said that regardless they would continue to take the action if I didn’t do as stated in the letter.

“I don’t think there is one iota of chance that people will confuse my little shop in the arcade with them, we are struggling to get anyone through to spend money.”

Mrs Diffey, who lives in Oakdale with her husband Russell and sons Aaron and Nathan, said Zara was a nickname she had used while working at another fabric shop in the area.

But after receiving legal advice from Fretten’s Solicitors in Christchurch, she has since agreed to drop the name to avoid a potentially devastating court case.

“This has caused me an awful lot of inconvenience and cost money I don’t have,” she added.

Zara had not provided a comment.

Mrs Diffey is inviting people to come up with new names for her store by posting suggestions anonymously – but with a phone number – through the shop door. 

The winning entry will net its contributor a £25 voucher and the chance to cut the ribbon at a re-launch.

“I wanted to make something positive from this,” she said.

“They don’t have to be serious, quirky or funny names are great. 

“Just nothing with the word Zara.”