A PENSIONER who lost his sight in one eye during a freak accident 48 years ago has regained his vision following an operation.

Alan Read was struck above his left eye with a cricket ball aged 36 while playing for East Burgholt, in Suffolk, and told by doctors he would never see out of it again because of the pressure which had built up behind it.

Mr Read, 84, of Sowerby, near Thirsk, came to terms with the devastating news and continued to work and play sport throughout his life.

It was only until a cataract began to grow on his healthy eye that surgeons assessed the damaged one and realised they could relieve the pressure - a procedure thought impossible in the 1960s.

He was sent to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and operated on by Dr Vaideanie Collins, who miraculously restored Mr Read's sight after a three hour operation.

He said: "Getting my sight back was incredible.

"After the operation I came round and my sight was fine, and I could see things I couldn't see before.

"I still wake up in the morning and close my right eye to check if I can see out of my left.

"I feel like I have a new lease of life now and it's marvellous.

"I was the first person she had done the operation on and when I went back to see her she told me she could do it on two or three others."

Despite being able to boast clear vision for the first time in almost 40 years, dad-of-two Mr Read, who moved to North Yorkshire 24 years ago, says he did not long for his sight to come back.

"It was one of those things and I had to cope. I couldn't see very well and I had to adapt to that," he added.

"I had my own cleaning business with ladies working for me, so it didn't affect work.

"I continued to play cricket and was hit on the head a couple of times, but I was never as good as before the accident."

Mr Read's wife, Jo, 85, said she feared he might die during the operation because of his age and was as relieved as anyone when her husband came round.

She added: "I was thrilled with the result and couldn't believe it.

"It's marvellous he's got his sight back and he can now stand at the window and look at the hills to pick out things he has never seen before."