GRANDMOTHER Norah Butler has received her best ever Christmas present -- news that her granddaughter's eye, badly damaged in an unprovoked attack, is likely to heal.

In November, ten-year-old Nadia Butler was walking into the Day and Nite Store in Bacup when she was struck in the face by a brick.

Nadia, who lives with her gran in Birch Street, Bacup, was not looking forward to Christmas after what happened but she has brightened up considerable now a specialist has told her the eye appears to be healing .

And the best news of all for Nadia is that she has been told she can go back to St Mary's RC School in January.

She is an enthusiastic pupil but has been unable to attend since the incident.

Norah said: "The doctor said the two splits in her retina are going back together nicely but she is still not discharged. He wants to keep her under observation and she will be going back for more tests in a few weeks. He has assessed her sight but can't finally determine how she will be affected until the retina has healed.

"It is the best Christmas present I could have had and Nadia is returning to something like herself since her last visit to the specialist. She wasn't bothered about Christmas after what happened as she was worried that she might lose her eye.

"But now she is a lot more perky and everyone says they have seen a change in her. She is looking forward to Christmas."

At first the family were told Nadia would lose10 per cent of her vision but Norah said the doctor was reluctant to commit himself to what the long term effect might be.

But she added: "At least she can have a happy Christmas."