However, there are no guarantees that these changes will last longer than the first decade of the new millennium.In the capital, where businesses have had repeated changes of numbers - and expensive updating of stationery and liveries on vans and lorries - the London Chamber of Commerce expressed concern."Although business is helping the telecoms industry with these changes, we are concerned that they will be very disruptive," a spokesman said."We have known about these changes since January last year, and yet it is only now that we are getting some concrete information about them.". By inserting a "1" in every code, the path was opened up for future changes and more prefixes - meaning that 01, 02, 03 and so on can be allocated for different uses. From the date of the changes, adult lines and expensive premium rate numbers will be grouped together under an 0909 prefix."As well as giving us more numbers, the changes will group UK codes into clear and understandable families,"Mr Clark said "Businesses are not the only ones affected. Everyone with a fixed telephone line, mobile, computer modem or fax machine needs to understand the changes."This is a vital step to take our phone system into the next century."PhOneDay, in April 1995, paved the way for the latest changes. Added to that is the demand from new telephone services companies which have to be allocated numbers in blocks of 10,000 to pass on to customers.Peter Clark, chairman of the national code and number change (NCNC) steering group, said that the new prefixes would give parents and employers greater control over certain telephone services, such as sex lines. Instead of two codes, Londoners will all have codes beginning 020.The changes, which will come into force on 22 April 2000, are being introduced because of the sheer demand on new numbers caused by the steady growth of telephone connections and the huge increase in demand for computer connections to the Internet. Phone users in Coventry, Portsmouth, Southampton, Cardiff and Northern Ireland will be given fresh area codes beginning 02-plus another identifying digit, while people in London will see the abolition of 0171 and 0181 prefixes. One positive side-effect of the change in the capital will be the end of the snobbery inherent in having inner and outer London numbers.

A lot of parents will breathe a sigh of relief at that - until the next fad comes along.". TELEPHONE dialling codes in six areas of the country are to change again - in some cases for the third time in seven years - because telecommunications operators are running out of new numbers. If trainers are now considered naff by the trendsetters then this will permeate down to the market in general over a course of time."Designer trainers are not, of course, going to disappear, but they are likely to stop being seen as compulsory wear. The charity also said that trainers were advertised by international athletes like Linford Christie for more than pounds 50 a pair, but the average labour costs of producing them is 46p in China and pounds 1.19 in Thailand.Nike announced, following the criticism, that it would introduce independent monitoring of its factories.Yesterday, it said the cutbacks would make the company leaner and more competitive.Industry watchers do not, however, see a quick turnaround for the giant multinational. And Calvin Klein's models are no longer shod in scruffy trainers but work boots.The Face magazine says "smart shoes are the way to walk this year" and another style magazine, I-D, stated "flashy silver trainers are being overlooked in favour of rugged, subtly shaded action shoes".Total sales of sports footwear fell by 3.5 per cent in l996, compared to a rise of 7.7 per cent the previous year, and according to analysts the market is saturated.Philip Armitage, a sociologist, said: "Fashion is fickle ...

The Verve, said by the cognoscenti to be the coolest band around, wear not trainers, but Clark's Wallabees. Diane Daggatt, of US analysts Dain Rauscher, said: "They have got to work through all these issues, primarily inventories and slowing demand."She added that an upturn could begin in l999, but will Nike, and the other famous brands such as Fila, Adidas, Vans and Converse ever have a market as lucrative as in the past?Not if the young buyers see their idols abandoning them. Designer trainers were statements of style, and Nike one of the most stylish of all. Now, however, the fashion gurus say trainers have had their day, and Nike yesterday revealed a 69 per cent slump in earnings in the final three months of last year. As a result, the company will cut 1,600 jobs, or 7 per cent of its workforce.Nike says the current woes are largely due to turmoil in the now limping "tiger" economies in the Far East, and and an "oversupply" of the product in its largest market, the United States.Two years ago the company, along with rivals, was accused by Christian Aid of exploiting Third World workers.