Bono was spotted in New York without his signature sunglasses earlier this week. U2 front man and his wife Ali were all bundled up from the cold autumn chill on a recent shopping trip in the Big Apple.

Wearing a baseball hat and scarf, dark under eye circles and bags were clearly visible on the 50-year-olds face which is usually covered with a pair of Emporio Armani shades.

He has called his look "part vanity, part privacy and part sensitivity", saying: "I have very sensitive eyes to light. If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day.

"My right eye swells up. I've a blockage there, so that my eyes go red a lot. So it's part vanity, part privacy and part sensitivity."