A WORCESTER optician is urging parents to keep a close eye on their children's eyesight before they return to school.

In the run up to National Literacy Day, which is on Thursday, Alan Richards, store manager at Specsaver's Opticians, Broad Street, said vision problems can have a "massive impact" on a child's ability to learn.

He said: "It's really important that children's eyesight is checked regularly from such a young age because much of its development takes place before the age of eight - after eight really is too late as by then it can be much harder to correct any problems.

"Vision problems can have a massive impact on a child's ability to learn, therefore to ensure they get the best out of school an eye test should be a crucial part of the whole back to school routine."

He said there are several signs that indicate a child might be experiencing poor vision, such as frequently rubbing their eyes, experiencing regular headaches, sitting close to the television and showing irritation towards bright light.

"I urge parents to get general health checks and eye tests booked in before it's back to school time," he said.