CUSTOMERS of Specsavers in Greenock donated £55 to help the Royal National Institute of Blind People highlight the importance of good eye care for children.

It followed research by Specsavers and the Institute showed around 20 per cent of children have undiagnosed vision problems, despite eye tests being free.

Greenock store director, Lesley Brown, said good eye health plays an important role in a child’s overall development.

She said: “It’s shocking to learn that such a significant number of parents are leaving it so late before taking their child for an eye test.

“The detection of common sight problems among children, such as a lazy eye, squint or short sightedness, can be easily corrected provided they are spotted early enough — ideally before a child turns eight. 

“However, many parents are clearly still in the dark about how to protect their child’s vision.”

Schools are also being offered free kit to enable teachers or classroom assistants to check pupils’ eyes by registering at screeningforschools.com.

Pictured are Greenock Specsavers staff, from left, optometrist Fiona Cannon, lab technician Jamie Reed and administration assistant Stef Hood.