A PADGATE mum has expressed her concern about fashion contact lenses sold on the shelves of high street stores after her daughter bought two pairs which she claims were faulty.

Dawn Hankey, of Northolt Court, said her 17-year-old daughter bought two pairs of Four Eyez' coloured contact lenses.

She claims the first lenses moved around her eye and got stuck under her eyelid and when she opened the second packet she realised that bits had broken off.

Dawn said: "I think they are dangerous. They buy them because they look good but I am worried they could do permanent damage to their eyes." The 30-day product includes clear coloured lenses, while some feature the Union Jack and smiley faces. An office manager for Fashion Wear Services, which produces the lenses, said all are accompanied by cleaning solution and comply with regulations.

She said there are accompanying instructions on how to put the lenses into the eye, how to clean them, and how to build up wear time. She said: "If there is a fault we like to see every return and ask people to send them back to us. But out of all the lenses we sell, less than one per cent are returned. Four people in 10,000 have trouble with contact lenses and if they do feel uncomfortable straightaway people have an immediate refund."

She said there is no legal age limit on using them, but the company asks distributors to use their discretion when people are buying them.

But Ronald Stevenson, a professional advisor at the College of Optometrists, said people should not use them and can get fashion contact lenses from a professional optician or dispenser.

He said: "The risk of eye infection is potentially quite serious, especially if youngsters are swapping the lenses around. They must be supervised by a qualified person."

He said the General Optical Council is looking into the lenses.

However, Bob Tanda, spokesman for Fashion Wear Services, said the risk of people swapping contact lenses is possible even if they are prescribed by an optician and that their lenses come in one size and are exactly the same as those prescribed by opticians.

He said the company is in regular talks with Trading Standards and the Optical Council, to ensure the highest standards.