The battle of skirt lengths could soon be a thing of the past after 13-year-old Laura Dalley used a school project to design a two-in -one skirt.

The Kingdown pupil from Warminster would often see fellow classmates being reprimanded for their short skirts and decided a forthcoming textiles project was the perfect opportunity to work out a solution.

Laura said: “The idea was for school. You see people getting told off for how short their skirts are then as soon as they walk out of school they pull them up.

“I thought wouldn’t it be amazing to have two in one. Later in the year I knew I was going to do a skirt design project in textiles so I thought I might get ahead.”

Laura, who has two sisters Emily, 11, and Lucy, 10, received a sewing machine from her parents a few months ago to sew the skirt, which she has named a Kovert Skirt.

“I got the machine because this year I am doing a lot more indepth things in textiles,” she said.

“The first skirt was a disaster. I thought it would have been better if you couldn’t see the loops and holes.

“It took a couple of months to put it together. I took photos of skirts and looked up pictures on my computer to see buttons and pleats, and how it would look. I took the photos off the internet and put one on top of the other.

“It is charcoal grey so fits in with the uniform. Emily has started Kingdown and she likes the idea.”

Laura, who wants to go into computer design in the future, has since had her design protected by the intellectual property office and hopes the idea will take off.

“I will use this in my textiles project,” she said. “I would like to push it further, but it took a lot of time, so it would be nice for someone else to take it on in the future.

Her mum Adeline said: “She has always had an interest in clothes and make-up.

“I am very proud she came up with it. I think it is a really good idea.

“I like to think someone out there will think it’s a good idea and take it on. It doesn’t just have to be for school skirts, it could be ladies’ skirts.”

Sara Edwards, headteacher at Kingdown School, said: “We are very proud of Laura and her Kovert skirt.

Her design is clearly innovative, yet practical and could be a great hit.

“We wish her every success.”