The WHT has discovered that lanyards for people with hidden disabilities are being sold at a higher price than the normal rate.

The Sunflower is designed to discreetly indicate that the wearer or someone with them has a hidden disability and may require some extra help, understanding, or patience – it does not mean the wearer is exempt from wearing face masks.

But the charity has come up with face-covering exemption cards for those with a hidden disability who are medically exempt from wearing one.

The WHT has found that these cards, costing 55p, are being sold on Facebook marketplace for £5.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Facebook post about the card, which has since been deletedFacebook post about the card, which has since been deleted (Image: Facebook)

After we raised the cost difference with the sellers they deleted their posts and left the chat we used to contact them.

Hidden Disabilities told us: "Thank you for your feedback regarding people selling our products for a higher price on other websites, we are closely monitoring and aware of the situation and thank everyone for letting us know.

"The only place our products can be obtained are on our website or at participating stores such as supermarkets."

Since the government has made masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces like supermarkets and public transport, demand for these lanyards has increased.

Last week, this ramped up with supermarkets such as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda deciding to refuse entry to people not wearing the masks.

This move was welcomed by Hidden Disabilities, who said: "We support the increase in enforcement of COVID-19 regulations to help stem the spread of the pandemic but are also calling on the public to be mindful that there are still many people living with a hidden disability that cannot wear a face covering for medical reasons and this disability may not be immediately obvious to you.

"We are extremely shocked, saddened and disappointed with growing public perception that everyone that is not wearing a face-covering is fraudulently claiming that they are medically exempt from wearing one.

"Please be kind, stop and think before you make a judgement that the person not wearing a mask is fraudulent, one in five of us has a disability and 80 per cent of disabilities are hidden – that's over 10 million people."

For more see hiddendisabilities.com.