Doctor offers cash for head lice

Dr Coles needs head lice for research

A doctor has offered money for parents to check their child's head for lice and then give the lice to him.

Dr Gerald Coles, a fellow from Bristol University department of veterinary science in Langford, needs the lice for his research.

He said he needed 300 lice to test a new head lice shampoo and is offering £1 per louse to parents who find more than 20 on their child's head.

He said: "We want to make it worthwhile for people to let us have head lice.

"We also give them a bottle of shampoo based on a coconut oil which is very effective at controlling head lice."