A SOFA is supposed to be a place of relaxation, so a Dorset couple were horrified to discover theirs may have caused them months of painful and irritating skin problems.

Joyce and Trevor Stickley, of Charminster, developed itching and blistering after acquiring a new brown three-piece suite from Land Of Leather back in April.

The couple did not suspect the cause - until they heard that a batch of leather sofas made in China had been withdrawn from sale following complaints of customers suffering skin problems.

Officer worker Joyce, 45, said: "It was on the radio that Argos, Land of Leather and another company had recalled them because of the dye in the leather. They were supposed to have been in touch with clients and picked up the sofas, but we were forgotten.

"We had both been to the doctor's. I had an itchy, sore bottom and my husband's back had big scabs on it from where he had been lying on the sofa. I was prescribed two lots of cream and when Trev's broke out he was given two different lots of cream."

After hearing of the possible cause, Joyce contacted Land of Leather's store in Poole and the suite was taken away. She and her 49-year-old delivery driver husband claim they were told they could not have a refund and that a replacement suite could not be delivered until December.

However, Land of Leather yesterday provided a sofa on loan until the replacement arrives.

"I just feel that there could be other people out there like us. It was word of mouth that prompted me to phone the company. How many people are suffering like we did, not knowing?" asked Joyce.

Adrian Goodenough, spokesman for Land of Leather, said the company had withdrawn the sofas, supplied by a company called Linkwise, from sale on September 10 as soon as the alleged link became known. It was still in the process of contacting customers who had bought them.

"We have only had 20 complaints, which, in relation to the number of suites we supply, is very small. Each individual case will be taken on its merits," he said. "We ourselves have undertaken our own tests of the products supplied by this company and have come up with absolutely nothing. You wouldn't expect such things to happen through clothes."