A DOCTOR whose parents live in Droitwich is pioneering breakthrough research into developing a treatment for blindness.

The treatment, created by specialist Dr Paul Foster and his team of scientists, is being hailed as the most important potential advance in eye disease for 50 years.

Mr Foster, clinical senior lecturer in ophthalmic epidemiology at University College London's Institute of Ophthalmology, is hoping the laser treatment will prevent angle-closure glaucoma, a disease that effects up to 30 million people in the world and about 100,000 in the UK.

The laser treatment, which involves making a hole in the iris, has been used as a treatment for existing eye conditions and is known to be safe. However, Dr Foster wants to use it to prevent the eye condition occurring in the first place.

"This offers the prospect of making the most significant reduction in the global launch of blindness in the foreseeable future," he said.

"Arguably, this would be the most important advance in ophthalmology since the invention of the lens implant for cataract surgery 50 years ago."

Mr Foster's research is being supported by the charity Fight for Sight.

Proud

"We are very proud of what he is achieving," said the 38-year-old's parents Jennie and Gordon Foster, who live in Jackdaw Lane.

"He has worked long and hard for this and it is now building up into something that's giving other people a chance at sight. We are really delighted."

Mr Foster was born in County Durham and grew up in Kent. He went to medical school in Nottingham where he specialised in ophthalmology.

Since then he has worked China, Mongolia and Singapore carrying out research into angle-closure glaucoma.