A 94-year-old St Albans man has thanked a Hatfield Road opticians for saving him from a potentially lethal stroke.

Kenneth Saph only had vision in his left eye since childhood, until he began losing sight in his right eye for up to three minutes at a time.

He visited Enhanced Optical Services and explained his problem - which set alarm bells ringing for opticians John Snelgrove and Ann Steel.

John said: “Both of us thought this could be quite serious.”

Mr Saph was referred to hospital, where a scan revealed a large fatty deposit in an artery on the right side of his neck. The hospital removed it within a couple of days as had it not been treated, he would have suffered a massive, potentially lethal stroke.

John, who has 30 years’ experience as a optician, said: “If anyone has a sudden loss of vision, it is extremely important to follow that through.”

Mr Saph later wrote to the opticians to say: “You saved my life.”