Retailers facing empty shelves because of a row over Chinese clothing quotas have been criticised for being short-sighted by a Bradford textile organisation.

The Confederation of British Wool Textiles (CBWT) said too many retailers focused solely on price when outsourcing manufacturing to China and it urged them to make more in the UK.

The lifting of quotas on Chinese clothing exports in January has led to retaliation by the European Union and the US after tariffs were broken.

Currently there are hundreds of millions of shirts, T-shirts, pullovers, rousers, blouses and bras impounded in warehouses, leaving retailers wondering how to fulfil orders in the run-up to Christmas.

The CBWT has shown little sympathy for the retailers' plight and director general John Lambert said they only had themselves to blame for the current problems.

"The sourcing policy of major retailers in recent years had a major and adverse effect on local trade," said Mr Lambert.

"Perhaps now the retailers appreciate that there are factors other than price which they should take into account when deciding where to source their manufacturing. Sourcing outside Western Europe can produce major problems for them. Placing all their business with the Chinese has made them vulnerable."

Mr Lambert said the remorseless rise in the price of oil could also have longer term implications on manufacturing in the Far East because of the rising costs of transport.

He said retailers should take "a more balanced view" about where garment production took place and not carry on putting all their eggs in one basket.

"We're urging the retailers to manufacture more in the UK generally and in Bradford in particular."

Bradford Chamber of Commerce has taken a softer line on the tariff row. President Richard Wightman, said: "The EC was right to act to restrict the imports, although it seems that individual governments massively under-calculated what was required and so incorrect information was given to the Chinese authorities.

"While the quotas can be re-set for the future, it seems the best solution now, to free excess clothing stored up, is to release some of next year's quotas now, but make sure it doesn't happen again."