MUGGERS have blinded a senior Blackburn Cathedral clergyman after pouncing on him as he walked through Manchester city centre.

Canon Andrew Hindley is facing a tense wait to find out if his eyes have been permanently damaged in the attack.

Mr Hindley was assaulted by two men as he took money from a cash machine after going out for a meal with friends.

One of the attackers stuck his fingers into Mr Hindley's eyes, scratching his corneas.

Mr Hindley, who was 39 yesterday, said: "I was putting my money and card back in my wallet when someone grabbed my hand and my wallet - so I grabbed him. I wasn't going to give it up easily.

"I tried to get the wallet off him but he had an accomplice, who reached over my forehead, stuck his fingers in my eyes and pressed hard."

In excruciating pain, Mr Hindley let go of his wallet and his assailants ran off. He didn't report the incident to police, preferring instead to go straight home.

He said: "Although my eyes were sore I could still see. I came straight home, washed my eyes out and went to bed.

"It was only the next day when I woke up that I realised I could not see. It was very frightening because I was here on my own. I had thought I would just be a bit bruised and battered." Mr Hindley telephoned a friend who took him to hospital. There he was told he had very badly damaged corneas and would have to wear pads on his eyes for a week.

He said: "I'm dosed up on painkillers but it is very painful. It is a bit like having sandpaper rubbed on your eyes. I've seen the eye specialist three times but we still don't know if the damage will be permanent."

Mr Hindley said the culprits would not have known he was a clergyman as he was dressed casually. They stole £20 and some credit cards, which he immediately cancelled.

He said: "I'm a big lad, a former rugby player, and I have never been worried about this kind of thing before.

"I felt angry at the time that people take things from other people and I also feel somewhat worried that this is the kind of tactic that people seem to be employing now.

"I am not a vengeful person. I just feel sad that we have reached the stage where you can't even get money out of the bank without fear of someone jumping on you. If they are picking on me a woman or an elderly person doesn't stand a chance. It is very distressing."

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