A RETIRED policeman and former prison officer has begun medical treatment to save his sight - thanks to The Press.

Last week we told how pensioner Les Howard, who has been diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration in his right eye, was told by York and North Yorkshire PCT chiefs he would have to lose his sight in one eye and develop a sight-threatening condition in the other before he could be given the injections he needed on the NHS.

But today Mr Howard, who is 77 on Friday, is recovering at his Acomb home after he was given free treatment at a private hospital.

He had the first of up to eight injections, which would normally cost about £1,000 each, after the Nuffield Hospital, in Harrogate, stepped forward to offer him the treatment.

The Press accompanied Mr Howard on his trip to the hospital yesterday afternoon.

He was in good spirits as he made the journey to Harrogate by taxi and chatted about his ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, his work as a former prison officer - one of the first guards to open Full Sutton prison in 1983 - and a trip to Devon he and his wife, Mary, have planned for June.

He said he was delighted that he would still be able to see them - thanks to the treatment.

"I still feel over the moon and I'm so grateful to Nuffield for saving my eyesight," he said. "But I'm still annoyed with the PCT for not showing any compassion or consideration themselves."

He said he was "a bit apprehensive" about the treatment - which involved having his eyeball frozen and then injected, but he said he did not care how much it hurt as long as it worked.

Mr Howard was given the Lucentis injection to his eye by consultant Gavin Walters, who said the antiVEGF drug stopped the advance of the condition in 90 per cent of cases and improved sight in 75 per cent.

He said: "The procedure takes about 15 minutes in total. I will assess him again afterwards to see how things are but it takes about three injections - usually about a month apart - to see if the treatment is going to improve the vision."

The costs of up to eight injections, including the drugs, will be met by Nuffield after The Press contacted Mr Howard on its behalf and arranged the deal.

Mary is also suffering problems with her eyesight.

She had an operation last year to re-attach the retina in her right eye but, a few days ago, she began to see a blue speck in it.

She went to York Hospital and was told she had another hole in the retina and would have to undergo further surgery.