FACTORY staff have been turning on the specs appeal for charity.

Workers at the Flymo lawnmower plant, in Newton Aycliffe, wore orange sunglasses for a day to raise thousands of pounds for the Vision Aid Overseas charity.

All staff, suppliers retailers and visitors were invited to make a donation to the charity and wear the glasses.

Those who declined had to make an even bigger donation.

In addition to a one-day meeting tariff, Flymo staff also collected old or used spectacles, which Vision Aid Overseas will dispense to people in poorer countries.

Pupils at Elmfield Primary School, Newton Aycliffe, and Heighington CE Primary School also helped to collect spectacles for the charity.

Tym Marsh, Vision Aid Overseas director, said: "We are delighted people in the North-East are helping to raise money and collect spectacles through the Flymo Vision Appeal.

"The donation will certainly benefit the charity and, most importantly, people in other countries, where the provision of eye-care is a luxury rather than the norm."

Shewans Opticians, of Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, has also joined the campaign.

It is offering customers a 20 per cent discount on spectacles valued at £150 or more when they bring in an old single vision pair of glasses for recycling.

Mr Marsh appealed to people in the region to give unwanted spectacles to their local opticians.

Ross Golightly, UK marketing controller at Flymo, said: "We have raised a smile for the staff on site and raised some money for people less fortunate than ourselves.

"Disturbingly, we have had some Ali Gs, Dame Ednas and Elton Johns, so everybody seems to have got into the spirit.