LONDON (AP) — A British court says hundreds of people who received chemical burns from leather sofas will share £20 million ($30 million) in compensation.

The customers took legal action after claiming of skin and eye complaints or breathing difficulties from the Chinese-made furniture, dubbed "toxic sofas".

The problems were blamed on dimethyl fumarate, a fungicide designed to stop the furniture from becoming mouldy. The European Union banned the chemical last year.

Lawyers told a judge at London's High Court yesterday that agreement had been reached between the plaintiffs and a company that owns several furniture retailers. It will see 1,650 victims receive up to £9,000 ($13,900) apiece.

Legal action continues in 3,000 other cases.