HIGH heels or high hell?

A receptionist sent to a top city firm in London was sent home because she refused to wear high heels. The dress code set by the agency that employed her stipulated heels between 2in and 4in as part of her work uniform.

How times change. A generation ago anything higher than a three inch heel was definitely not considered workwear. Far too frivolous for the day job.

‘Going dancing?’ one elderly female boss once asked me, very sarcastically as she gazed in disapproval at my black patent stilettos.

But heels have a strange effect. In my first job when I went to work in jeans and flat boots, male colleagues treated me as a mate. If I tottered in in heels and a skirt their reaction was definitely different. If nothing else, they suddenly bought the lunchtime drinks...

Then, while completely sober, I fell off my four inch platforms, wrecked my ankle and walked with a stick for months. Not a good look when you’re 22. So I went back to biker boots.

Dress codes are fair enough – companies want employees to reflect their image and they’re the ones paying the wages – but making high heels compulsory seems bizarre, sexist, old-fashioned and downright discriminatory. And – well – a bit peculiar.

Chaps might moan about having to wear suits and ties in hot weather – but ties aren’t going to stop you running down the stairs. Ties don’t risk you breaking an ankle, developing bunions or wrecking your feet for life.

And let’s not even think about the horror of tights in sweltering temperatures… The temp in this case has now started a petition against sexist dress codes and has clocked up more than 40,000 signatures.

Of course, what she should have done was worn the heels and fallen over and then sued the company for huge damages, claiming the dress code was a breach of health and safety and caused her serious injury.

That would change their dress policy. And we’d all be doomed to biker boots for ever.

THE prime minister is in trouble for an overheard conversation about corruption in Nigeria and Afghanistan. The Queen is in trouble for overheard remarks about how rude the Chinese were on last year’s official visit.

Maybe. But wasn’t it very rude of people to listen in to private conversations and even ruder to broadcast them?

TWO for the price of one, or three for the price of two. Whichever way you look at it, Prince Harry is good value, especially as part of a team with his brother and sister-in-law.

While William and Kate are very good, very grown up, serious, sensible sort of people, clearly apprentice king and queen, Harry is the joker in the pack, the larky, sparky young man who doesn’t have to bother with a dignity clause and can counterbalance his brother and sister-in-law’s air of worthiness.

As Princess Margaret – always a bit of a party princess – balanced the dutiful queen so Harry balances William and gives the public someone to identify with. Let’s hope he makes a better job of being the spare than his Uncle Andrew has.

The best thing is that after some spectacularly daft escapades Harry is now coming into his own. He’s done a lot for various charities. And now his pet project, the Invictus Games for injured ex-servicemen, are a great success. Harry’s been a hands-on organiser – literally, hugging and embracing competitors with a cheerful, easy confidence .

Could you imagine William doing that? No, of course not.

And it’s precisely because Harry’s done some spectacularly daft things in his time that people find him a lot less daunting.

If Harry were due to be king, maybe he’d have to be a bit more serious. If William weren’t going to be king, then maybe he could lighten up a little. As it is, they make a good team.

Until Harry gets a proper job…

SHARON Osbourne told the world she’d thrown husband Ozzy out of the house after discovering his affair with a hairdresser.

Now she’s giving interviews saying she doesn’t know whether to have him back or not.

Publicity stunt?

Oh no, surely not.

TAMARA Ecclestone’s two-year-old daughter Sophia has a new playhouse – a £10,000 replica of the family’s £70 million home. Lucky her. But I bet it’s not as much fun as a pile of cardboard boxes…