A CHINESE herb medicine company fined £11,500 by Southampton magistrates for selling items with excess lead, misleading labelling and illegal colouring is considering an appeal against their "disproportionately punitive" punishment.

Herbmedic Centre Limited received the fine in connection with the sale of four products - one of which claimed could boost sexual performance - at their two Southampton stores in WestQuay shopping centre and Shirley High Street.

The company had earlier pleaded guilty to three charges under the Food Labelling Regulations Act 1996; two under the Lead in Food Regulations Act 1979 and one under the Colours in Food Regulations Act 1995.

A spokesman for Herbmedic Centre Ltd, who generate a £1m turnover from their 26 UK stores, said today that although they accepted they had breached food regulations the fine imposed by magistrates - which included £1,500 costs to Southampton City Council - was too high.

He said: "Chinese medicines are globally renowned for their safety and are based entirely on natural resources. They have been in use for 5,000 years in mainland China and Hong Kong and for some ten years in the UK.

"Herbmedic Centre Limited dispenses over 200 traditional Chinese medicine products in the UK. Each of their shops has a resident doctor, trained in China to first degree level or higher, in both Chinese and Western medicine, who is on the premises at all times to oversee the dispensing of the product.

"While the company accepts it contravened Trading Standards regulations, it considers the fines were disproportionately punitive and is considering an appeal."

Earlier this week city magistrates heard how the sea horse genital tonic pills - a general tonic and genital strengthener - seized by Southampton Trading Standards officers were found to have 26 times

in excess of the permitted 1mg of lead per 1kg of product.

Other items taken were keep fit reduce capsules, for which a labelling claim was made to cure obesity; kuike weight loss crisps, which contained non permitted colours; and growing hair capsules, which contained excess lead.