A 12-YEAR-OLD girl is likely to lose the sight of her left eye after she was struck in the face with a stone.

Sarah Wolfenden King was outside her home on Harold Avenue, Burnley, at 7pm yesterday when the stone was thrown by a young boy, believed to be aged around 10.

Sarah's mother Lisa Disley said: "We have been told that the next 48 hours are critical, but it is more than likely she will lose the sight of her eye."

She added: "The children were playing on the electricity box when this lad threw a stone at Sarah.

"He meant to injure her. There was blood pouring from her eye."

Sarah's uncle Steven Eckersley, 27, who lives opposite the family, said: "She didn't see the stone coming. She didn't blink and took the full force of the stone on her eye."

Sarah's mother took her daughter to Burnley General Hospital where she had an operation last night.

"There is one chance in three she could still lose the sight in her eye," her uncle said.

"We are just waiting to hear from the hospital.

"We asked other children if Sarah had been throwing stones and they said no. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it."

Sarah is a year seven pupil at Towneley High School, Burnley. She has two brothers Anthony, eight, and Jason, nine.

Margaret Scott, acting team leader at Burnley police station, said uniformed police would be speaking to Sarah's mother today to get further information and would be following up the incident.