SHE'S the former receptionist who forced an MPs debate over her campaign to outlaw company bosses from forcing female employees to wear high heels at work.

Nicola Thorp, who went on to become TV soap Coronation Street's newest star set up a petition after she was sent home without pay from finance firm PwC two years ago after she refused to wear heels at work.

It was by more than 150,000 people, gained worldwide attention but ultimately, some feel, fell on deaf ears.

But the Government said laws in place were already "adequate" to deal with discrimination on gender grounds – a decision that Ms Thorp called "a cop-out"

The Government called, instead, on all employers with dress codes to review them and “consider whether they remain relevant and lawful”.

The Government Equalities Office also promised guidelines in the summer on dress codes to make the law clearer. A post-petition investigation by Commons committees found that women workers had been told to dye their hair, have manicures and wear revealing clothes by their bosses.

Last year 18-year-old waitress Erin Sandilands who was told to wear a skirt and make-up so she would be "easy on the eye" won her claim for sex discrimination.

The teenager was taken aside by a manager at Cecchini's bistro in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, and told to look more feminine "for the punters".

After she complained, the student - who was working under a zero-hours contract - was later told that her services were no longer needed, despite having previously been offered a full-time position.

After taking the business to an industrial tribunal, was awarded more than £3,500 for injury to her feelings and lost wages after employment judge Claire McManus found her evidence to be "entirely credible".