A world-famous thermalwear company sent cold shivers down a daughter's spine when they sent her a deepest sympathy letter.

The chilling letter offering condolences on the death of her 80-year-old mum left Julie Magson seething - because her mum is alive and well.

It was the final straw in a year-long wrangle with Bingley-based Damart over £40 of mail-order clothes that her mum Joan Barry had returned because they were not what she wanted.

Damart had sent several letters warning the widowed pensioner that if she did not return the trousers and leisure suit they would send debt collectors to her door - even though Mrs Barry had proof of postage.

Mrs Barry asked her daughters to take up the battle for her because the letters about debt collectors had upset her so much.

Mrs Magson, of Queensbury, said: "Then began a series of phone calls between Damart and ourselves and each time we were told the letters would stop and it was their mistake - but the letters kept arriving."

She said the last letter they got "added insult to injury" when Damart sent condolences on the death of her mother who is still "very much alive".

But, after being contacted by the Telegraph & Argus, the company sent a representative to visit the family to apologise for the blunder.

The firm's customer services manager Graeme Hall said the company would look into how the mistakes had happened to make sure they would not be repeated.

He said: "Damart serves some one and a half million customers across the UK - the majority of whom have been with us for many years - and we do our utmost to ensure they get the best service possible. In this instance that service clearly failed through genuine mistakes for which we are sincerely sorry."

The representative visited Mrs Magson to apologise personally and give her some compensation.

Mrs Magson said: "Damart has been very generous in its response and has brought the matter to a satisfactory conclusion."