An optician conned people out of more than £12,000 by supplying them with inferior lenses, a professional misconduct hearing has heard.

Lee Bernard, who was the joint partner of Specsavers in Witham between 2010 and 2012, admitted handing out 135 lenses, which were cheaper than what the patient ordered, at a General Optical Council meeting.

He also admitted failing to check whether patients were given the correct order in relation to about 300 other lens products.

They were also given cheaper lenses than what they had paid for.

Specsavers confronted Mr Bernard, 35, who had a 30 per cent share in the business, in September last year after they carried out an unrelated investigation because of an anonymous complaint.

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.