CHORLEY Lions Club is hoping for a spec-tacular success with this year's Sight First campaign.

The club are urging Chorley residents to lens them a hand in their aim to collect more than 2003 pairs of unwanted glasses and sunglasses by the end of the year.

People can hand in their unused glasses and sunglasses at a number of collection points in the area. So far this year the Chorley branch of the Lions Club has collected 500 pairs.

Press officer Yvonne Day said: "We have been inundated with glasses and although we hope to beat last year's target, we are grateful for anything people can give us."

Chorley Lions member Alan Forbes said: "Around 200 Lions Clubs in the UK take part and in 2001 more than half a million pairs of glasses were collected nationally. We became involved last year."

In 2002 Chorley Lions collected nearly 3,000 pairs of spectacles, easily exceeding their target of 2002 pairs.

Once the glasses are collected, they are sent to France where the French Lions Club members clean them and their prescriptions are checked.

They are then sent to developing countries throughout Africa, Asia and South America where they are distributed for free by qualified opticians to people who can not afford to buy them themselves.

Anyone who has an old pair of glasses or sunglasses that they wish to donate, can deposit them at Boots the Optician, Chorley; Chorley Spectacle Centre, Chorley; Euxton Medical Centre, Euxton; Hepworth and Hall Opticians in Coppull, Standish and Eccleston; Jean Rigby Opticians, Chorley; Brinscall Post Office; Direct Optik, Chorley; Eye Design, Chorley and Optisavers, Chorley.