Victoria's Secret in Trouble

Victoria's Secret – the US underwear giant – may be taken to court by dozens of women who claim the bras brought them out in painful rashes and red welts on their skin.

One woman says she has been left permanently scarred after wearing the Angels Secret Embrace bra, reports The Telegraph.

Roberta Ritter, 37, claims the bra brought her out in red, inflamed, blistery welts.

'It itched profusely. I couldn't sleep and was waking up itching,' she said.

The leading lingerie firm uses supermodels such as Giselle and Heidi Klum to promote their range of underwear.

Now the company faces a class action from dozens of women who say their skin has also been affected after wearing the bra.

After launching her lawsuit against Victoria's Secret, Roberta says she was contacted by many women who suffered similar symptoms. The group are now waiting to hear if they can launch a class action.

Roberta's lawyers said they have had the bra tested and a laboratory found traces of formaldehyde in the underwear. The chemical is often used to prevent fabrics creasing.

However, Victoria's Secret has denied the use formaldehyde in the manufacturing process.

'We have strict quality controls around our products, and we do not use formaldehyde in our bras,' the company said in a statement.

A US judge will decide next year if Roberta's case can be heard, plus whether the women can bring a class action against the underwear giant.