WELL done to eight-year-old Sophia Trow who has stuck the boot into Clarks for being "sexist" with shoes designs.

Sophia, who comes from Middlesbrough, wrote to the bosses of the multi-national company, saying they are out of step by by selling "boys only" dinosaur shoes.

We think she's got a point. Not all girls want to wear flowery shoes – so why shouldn't they be able to wear dinosaur shoes if they want to?

It may be seen as a light-hearted assault on the dinosaur thinking at Clarks but there is a serious underlying issue about the way women are stereotyped.

And that brings us onto the launch in the North-East today of a new organisation to support enterprising women.

The North-East Foundation for Women in Enterprise (NEFWE) aims to help women start up in business and help women running existing businesses.

We cannot help feeling it is rather sad that there is a need for such an organisation but we applaud those involved for doing something positive to help women thrive in business and break out of traditional roles.

Who knows, perhaps there is a business opportunity for creating a line in non-stereotypical shoes for girls to wear.