LITTLE Carl Kinge was so upset by bullies laughing at his extra-thick glasses he refused to wear them, until that is his whole family donned similar specs.

Carl, four, suffers from a rare growth disorder which affects his sight, and the milk-bottle lenses are the only way for him to see clearly.

But when his confidence was drained by cruel kids at school, his doctors came up with a novel solution to keep him wearing his glasses, getting the whole family to join him.

Now parents Keith, 50, and Jackie, 37 along with their other children Dean, 15, Carol, 13, Adam, ten, and Liam, six - all of who have perfect vision wear plain glass specs in sympathy.

Basketball fan Carl, who goes to Blackfield Infants School, suffers from a rare disorder called Marfan Syndrome. It means Carl is already the height of an average seven year old, and doctors predict he could reach 7ft when fully grown.

Trucker Keith, of Priest Croft Drive, Blackfield, near Hythe, who is on disability leave from TNS Stores, said: "The kids jumped at the chance to make Carl feel better. "