A pensioner has praised hospital staff after her sight was restored with a corneal transplant.

Margaret Crowther is now able to ride her bike again after months of finding it impossible.

Mrs Crowther, 80, is one of dozens of people who has been given a corneal transplant in the South East this year.

She first developed problems in the early Nineties when she developed cataracts on both eyes.

An operation on the left eye was successful but surgeons could do nothing for the right and she lost the sight from it.

Mrs Crowther had no further problems until last year when the sight in her left eye started to dim.

She said: "It was very gradual but I started to notice things were not as clear.

"It eventually got to the stage where I could no longer see to read or write properly. It was a horrible feeling and very frustrating.

"When I was referred to the consultant at Worthing he said a corneal transplant should be able to help improve my sight.

"I was quite surprised because I had never heard of the operation before."

Mrs Crowther, from East Preston near Littlehampton, had the operation done under a general anaesthetic at Worthing Hospital.

The operation was carried out by consultant ophthalmologist Masoud Teimory.

Mrs Crowther said: "Once I had the operation things began to improve quite quickly. When I got home the difference was amazing.

"I was able to read again and write letters. I had to give up gardening because I couldn't properly see what I was doing but now I can get back out there.

"I've also been able to start riding my bike again, which is wonderful.

"I'm delighted with the operation and very grateful to everybody involved. It's made a tremendous difference to my life."

The cornea is the curved window at the front of the eye that must be clear to enable people to see. It covers the iris and the pupil.

If it becomes damaged or cloudy, people develop problems and a transplant may be needed.

Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead has an eye bank that covers Sussex and the South East.

It is one of only six units in Britain dedicated to co-ordinating donations of eyes from people who have died.

However, the number of donations has dropped critically during the past few years. In 1997, 340 corneas were donated, while in 2002 the figure went down to 222. So far this year, only 66 have been collected.

Bank co-ordinator Andrea Rowe said it was a concern that numbers were declining.

She said: "Almost anyone can become an eye donor after death, as there are very few instances when a cornea is not suitable and there is no upper age limit.

"Just because someone may wear glasses it does not rule out their suitability.

"There is no alternative to a donated human cornea so it does literally mean the difference between being able to see or not."