Frontline spray, which can be bought over the counter from vets, is an insecticide and applied either as a spray, which costs around $25, or in the stronger form of Frontline Plus, which is administered with a pipette.

A spokesman for the Carterton branch of the Vetcare group said: "We have sold it to parents to treat lice although there is no way we would ever encourage the use of it on children.

"It's an animal treatment and we point out the warning on the packet which says 'Caution – animal treatment. Keep out of the reach of children'."

He said when parents have been advised not to use it on lice, they "turn around and tell us that their dog's got fleas anyway and buy it".

A spokesman at the Masterton Vetcare clinic said when Frontline is administered to cats and dogs, "we wear gloves because it burns".

Chapel Street Veterinary Centre and the Animal Hospital in Masterton say they have also had several requests for Frontline to treat lice but both practices have refused to sell it.

Noreen Wilson, practice nurse at the Animal Hospital, said one woman who came in said that her hairdresser told her it was quite safe and that she had been using it "for years".

Ms Wilson said Frontline was clearly labelled "for dogs only and is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin".

Jeff Ryan from Masterton Medical said under no circumstances was Frontline to be used on children and parents should stick to the standard treatments that had been tested and found to be safe.

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