A woman had her kidneys removed after taking a Chinese herbal medicine to cure a skin condition, a court heard.

Surgeons decided the organs had to be removed because Sandra Stay was at risk of developing cancer.

The 59-year-old catering manager had taken remedies given to her by Brighton herbalist Zie Zheng after conventional medicine failed to cure her psoriasis.

But some of the pills are alleged to have contained the banned drug Aristochia, a jury at Hove Crown Court heard.

Mrs Stay allegedly suffered acute renal failure after taking the herbal remedies for more than three years.

Dr Paul Sharpstone, a kidney specialist, saw her at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, after she was referred by her doctor.

Mrs Stay told him that she had been taking Chinese herbal medicine and a kidney biopsy found scarring and damage consistent with that.

Dr Sharpstone said: "The toxin responsible for this was not identifiable and because of that, no treatment was available."

He said that there were thousands of possible causes for kidney failure and toxins from Chinese herbal remedies was a very rare cause.

Mrs Stay is now undergoing dialysis.

Zheng, 37, of St James's Street, Brighton, denies four charges of selling a medicinal product containing a prohibited substance in a case brought by the Department of Health.

The trial continues.