Two dentists have won a second legal battle over the right to use a toothy crocodile on the sign outside their surgery.

Dentists Dr Simon Moore and Dr Tim Rumney said they chose a crocodile for their logo because the reptile is famous for having a mouth full of teeth.

But Lacoste the French fashion giant alleged that the dentists' sign was too similar to their own emblem, a green crocodile that is applied to T shirts around the world.

After losing the first round of its trademark fight last year, Lacoste appealed to the UK Appellate Authority. The original decision was upheld, saying that consumers were unlikely to confuse dental practice and the clothing company.

The dentists' logo includes the words "The Dental Practice" and does not share the Lacoste crocodile's knobbly back and red tongue.

The Lacoste logo comes from the French tennis player Rene Lacoste, who was nicknamed "The Alligator" or "The Crocodile" in the 1920s. He struck a deal with a manufacturer to make clothes with a crocodile logo.

The dentists, from Cheltenham, southwest England, said Lacoste's action was like "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

"We liked the crocodile design because of the natural association with teeth," Dr Moore said. "They have little birds that pick bits out of their teeth."

Lacoste was ordered to pay a total of 1,450 pounds in legal costs.