Optometrist donation after methanol sight loss

A young woman who was left blinded by drinking vodka laced with methanol while on holiday in Greece will be able to carry out simple visual tasks thanks to new technology donated by a local optometrist.

Hannah Powell, from Teeside, was on holiday in Zante last August when she unwittingly drank the methanol, which is sometimes used by rogue bar owners as an alcohol substitute to disguise the fact that drinks have been ­watered down. She was left severely visually impaired and requiring a kidney transplant.

Optometrist and owner of Thompson Opticians Kevin Thompson, read about Powell’s experience and felt compelled to donate a £2,000 Orcam device, which can read text via an earpiece and recognise faces, despite having never met her.