LASER pens offered as free gifts on a magazine have been sent to a laboratory for safety tests after allegations that a child's eye was damaged by the device.

Copies of the magazine have been removed from shops near Woodham Community College, in Newton Aycliffe, County Dur-ham, after reports that a pupil needed medical attention because of the device's misuse.

Consumer officials bought a nearby supermarket's stock of Fast Car magazine's February edition, which offers the laser keyring as a free gift.

The school's headteacher, Steven Harness, criticised the magazine's decision to give the device away, as well as its cover design, which describes the edition as blindin'.

Mr Harness said: "What really annoyed me about the magazine was the phrase 'it's a blindin' edition', which seems in poor taste.

"I cannot see the real purpose for having it as a free gift, and the warnings about potential damage are not clear enough."

Durham County Council's trading standards department has sent the lasers away for tests to ensure they meet safety standards.

A council spokesman said: "The devices are described as class one, which are the sort found in a CD player, which are perfectly safe if used properly.

"We will have them tested to make sure they are class one. If they are, we will make further inquiries through the police to find out how this alleged injury occurred.

"If the test reveals they are more powerful, then we would have to consider further action.

"These items are not toys and we would urge young people not to play with them, and parents to be made aware of the potential dangers."

The magazine's publisher defended the offer, saying the lasers passed stringent safety tests and that the magazine was aimed at readers above school-age.

Steve Ray, of Highbury Lei-sure, which produces the magazine, said: "This is the third week on sale for this issue, with over 130,000 purchases, and this is the only incident we have been made aware of.

"My suspicion is, that in this instance, despite all the warning that this item carries, I believe it must have been misused to cause such damage.

"Fast Car's target market is clearly identified as adult male.

"As a responsible publisher, we have far exceeded our legal obligation to ensure this product is safe and legal. We have in our possession not one, but four independent reports and certificates certifying that the product complies with all possible tests."