Lidl withdraws spectacles being sold illegally

Lidl has stopped the sale of multifocal reading glasses in stores across the UK, following concerns raised by registrants and action by the General Optical Council (GOC).

Multifocal lenses are used in spectacles to accommodate multiple prescriptions into a single lens. Legally, multifocal spectacles can only be sold in accordance with a valid prescription.

Kiran Gill, Head of Legal, said:

"We are pleased that Lidl UK has stopped selling multifocal spectacles. After we contacted them, they promptly issued notices to all of their stores, and they have now removed these spectacles from sale.

Tackling illegal optical practice is an important part of our work to protect the public, and we work collaboratively where we can with other organisations. Our collaboration with Lidl has highlighted the importance of reaching out to larger organisations to clarify our role and remit.

We encourage anyone with concerns about the illegal selling of contact lenses or spectacles to contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action."