School coat stand to repel headlice

A FRENCH entrepreneur has invented a coat-stand for schools that stops the spread of headlice.

The patented device aims to put a stop to the everyday problem of lice spreading from the coat of one infected pupil to other garments nearby and multiplying at lightning speed.

The flower-shaped coat racks contain natural products such as lavender which act as a repellent, keeping lice at bay within a radius of about 50cm.

The town of Noyon, in the Oise, is one of the first to experiment with the new innovation - and will equip all of its schools with the devices in the coming months. Cannes and Valenciennes have also expressed an interest.

Inventor David Blangis told TF1 that, while effective, the device cannot completely eradicate headlice and it was still important for parents to seek medical help for their children.