ENGLAND'S new away strip for this summer's World Cup was officially launched yesterday - kicking off a fierce price war.

The red Umbro kit with gold numbers was shown off by the likes of captain David Beckham and Newcastle striker Michael Owen as fans rushed to be among the first to get their hands on it.

Asda, which said it had sourced its shirts from the so-called European "grey" market, fired the first shots, selling the adult strip for £22 and the children's version for £17, having placed it on sale over the weekend.

However, rival retailers Sports World and JJB Sports quickly responded by cutting prices to £22.49 and £25 respectively for the adult shirt.

Staff at the Sports World store, in Horsemarket, Darlington, the former McGurk Sports, said they were doing a roaring trade and had sold "loads".

Customers buying the shirt at the store can get their money back should England win the World Cup in Germany.

Asda said the strip, which was only being stocked at its bigger stores, such as the MetroCentre, Gateshead, was "flying off the shelves".

Meanwhile, independent sports shops in the North-East were angered by the breaking of an embargo by the big chains, and said they were struggling to compete in the price war.

Darren Blenkiron, of Peter Lorimer Sports, in Bishop Auckland, said it had ordered the strip in, but planned to send it back to Umbro immediately.

He said: "The bigger guys are selling the shirts for less than we can buy them in for.

"Every shirt we sell we would lose money on at the rate they are being discounted.

"A lot of people have kicked football replica shirts out of the window because it is not worth it."

Mr Blenkiron added: "Umbro asked us to sign an embargo saying that we would not sell the strips until February 28, but they were on sale at Asda over the weekend.

"We've put them out today and people have been in asking about them, but they are going back.

"Everybody is trying to cut everybody else's throat. The bigger names just gobble up the smaller ones."

Simon Fenwick, boss of Gilsan Sports, in Richmond and Leyburn, which was stocking adult strips at £35 each, said: "We have got two little shops and are trying to sell to local customers, but with the prices some of the stores are getting them out at, it is getting harder for us.

"The only way I can see us selling any is if somewhere like Sports World is sold out.

"This will be the last line we stock.

"We won't do this line in the future."