A little boy given the gift of sight after being plagued by cataracts is finally enjoying one of childhood's most basic pleasures - reading.

William Willsher, five, has learnt 60 words since he started school in January.

Before surgery restored his sight last Christmas, he could not focus on a single word.

His mother, Angela, said his hunger for reading was rapidly increasing and he eagerly picked out words during bedtime stories. His favourite characters included Postman Pat and Noddy.

She said: "Since starting school and learning to read he has picked it up very quickly.

"He likes reading stories and just picks up a book and we read it with him.

"It is incredible the number of words he is taking in."

His reading highlight was picking out the name "William" on a headstone while his family was enjoying a historical walk.

William, from East Wittering, is believed to be the only child in the British Isles with his particular string of medical problems which affect his eyes, ears, speech and throat muscles.

He used to have to wear thick bi-focal glasses. A double lens implant last Christmas allowed him to discard his thick frames for thinner glasses.

He started at St Anthony's, a school for children with special needs, in Chichester, this year.

Angela said: "School has been going really well. He has made lots of friends and even the older children enjoy looking after him. He has come such a long way."