A new branch of a national opticians chain has opened inside a shopping centre.

Specsavers has launched its biggest and fourth business in the Medway Towns at Hempstead Valley, Gillingham.

The two-storey shop offers offer a complete range of eye and ear care, including OCT scans, contact lenses, pre and post cataract examinations, glaucoma monitoring and hearing tests and aids.

And there are more than 1,000 frames, among them designer labels, in both ordinary day-time and sun glasses.

Retail director Craig Holland said the global company needed to expand in the Towns to cope with the growing demand from customers checking on their eye health and seeking new styles in glasses.

He said: “Our OCT scan takes cross section pictures of the retina to create a 3D image and can detect any possible condition up to four years early.”

He added that the company was still trying to cope with the backlog of appointments which accumulated over lockdown.

Mr Holland said 10 extra staff had been taken on and 11 had transferred from other branches.

Specsavers also has existing High Street shops in Stood, Chatham and Gillingham.

It opened earlier this month (May 2) at the former Onyx art gallery and paintings outlet.