A bra sold in Marks & Spencer stores throughout Kent has sparked health worries.

The piece of underwear, which contains silicone, comes with a warning it should not be worn for more than eight hours.

The embroidered bra is available in a number of stores in Kent, including Ashford, Maidstone and Thanet.

Maidstone housewife Shirley Moss, who bought one of the bras, claims it's ridiculous to sell a bra that needs to be taken off in the middle of the day.

She said: "I don't want to discontinue wearing after eight hours, it's usually about 12 hours at least before I take a bra off each day, it could be difficult."

She's also baffled as to what the manufacturer expects women to do after eight hours.

"So four o'clock in the afternoon, wherever I am, in the supermarket, I have to strip off, it's ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous."

Mrs Moss is so dismayed by the purchase that she has decided to return the item.

"I just don't want these - I don't want to put them on. I don't know what's going to happen and I'm going to take them back to M&S," she added.

Marks & Spencer said the message is simply a precautionary warning.

In a statement it said: "We have received a very small number of complaints from women who have found the silicone in some of our bras uncomfortable.

"This is why we felt it was important to include some information on the packaging of the bras which contain silicone.

"This is purely a precautionary message we have included in our packaging for the last eight years in order to help our customers.

"Silicone is an industry standard material used to keep strapless styles in place."