BRITISH supermarket group Tesco plc has triggered an investigation at jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co after launching sales of the company's jeans at cut prices, company sources said yesterday.

"It has raised several issues that we are investigating," a spokeswoman for Levi Strauss said.

Tesco started selling the jeans at 150 of its 500 or so stores on March 24th at £30 sterling a pair compared with prices of £50 or above often charged by designated Levi stockists.

"They have been selling extremely well and in some stores we have already sold out...we are trying to sort out emergency deliveries," a spokeswoman for Tesco said.

Tesco said it had sourced thousands of pairs of the men's jeans "unofficially direct from a Levi's factory".