A WOMAN spent Christmas eve in A&E after suffering a severe skin reaction and spasms linked to her Argos sofa.

Kerry Evans, 57, of Tanybryn, said she has suffered from a skin rash and blistering on her legs since she bought an Argos Bari three-piece suite in September.

On Christmas Eve the weeping blisters became so unbearable she was taken by her daughter to hospital, where she was seen by a emergency dermatologist.

Ms Evans, who suffers from partial paralysis, said: "He suggested it might be the Argos sofa's leather which caused it."

Although paralysed from the waste down and wheelchair bound, Ms Evans said the blistering brought her out in spasms whenever something touched an affected area.

She added: "Over the autumn I had three doctors coming to visit me to look at it.

"It's not as bad now but the marks are still there."

Similar reports of skin problems involving the brand of sofas, manufactured by Chinese firm Linkwise, were reported last year, and the company has since recalled the affected ranges.

A spokesperson from Argos said that the firm was "aware of the issue, and is sorry for any problems their customers may have experienced.

"As soon as we were aware of the potential problem, we wrote to all customers who we believe may have bought sofas from the potentially affected batches offering to pick up the affected items and replace them with alternative products appropriate to each customer.

He said that the exact cause of the problem was still under investigation.

"We will continue to co-operate fully with all appropriate authorities to ensure that any risk to the health and safety of our customers is minimised."