A man spent 24 hours in a blindfold to raise money for an eye disease charity.

Ed White, from Standlake, near Witney, blindfolded himself to raise money for the Micro and Anopthalmic Children’s Society (Macs).

Once plunged into darkness, the 22-year-old then went about his normal activities, including going for a 20 minute jog on a running machine, cooking an evening meal and having a pint with friends, all without vision.

Macs helps children who are born with either small, poorly formed eyes, or without any eyes at all.

Mr White said: “It was absolutely exhausting.

“Just walking from one side of the room to another seemed to take ages.

“The world seems a much smaller place when you can see.”

He added: “The running was particularly hard, but I did manage the full 20 minutes. I did it on a running machine and I was clinging on to the hand barriers for support.”

After his run, Mr White made an evening meal of stir fried chilli chicken and went to the Black Horse in Standlake with a group of friends.

He said: “I couldn’t have done it without my friends’ support, although they did stitch me up a few times.

“At one point when I was making dinner they swapped some of the ingredients around, and left me on my own at the bar talking to myself a fair bit too.

“But it was all for a good cause. “ Anophthalmia, which me-ans no eyes, occurs in about one in 100,000 births and microphthalmia, meaning small formed eyes, and coloboma, which manifests itself as general eye problems, occur in about one in 10,000 births.

The majority of cases, about two thirds, are thought to be genetic, but the rest are believed to be caused by environmental factors such as drugs, pesticides, radiation, toxins or viruses.

Macs offers support and information to sufferers and their families, and also gives those with the disorder the chance to meet and support each other.

Mr White, who will also run the London Marathon in April to raise money for Macs, said he had raised almost half his target of £950.

To sponsor Mr White on his marathon run, visit website bmycharity.com/V2/edandmacs awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk