Toastmaster Colin Walsh missed his chance of victory in a public-speaking contest when organisers forgot he was blind.

Because he could not see green, amber and red lights warning him to wind up, he overran his time and was disqualified.

Colin, 60, had been expecting officials to tap a glass or bang a table to alert him. But he lost a possible fourth appearance in the UK and Ireland contest in Dublin.

The self-employed travel consultant said: "I was unbelievably angry at the time. They knew I was blind." Colin, of Lodge Close, Old Marston, Oxford, had to talk for two minutes on "a memorable moment in my life" at Abingdon Guildhall.

He recalled a true story about being shot at by men on horseback while stuck in an Ethiopian jail. But as the story reached its climax a voice shouted: "Colin, the red light's on."

Ken Harmsworth, chairman of the competition, said: "In hindsight, it would have been better if the timekeeper had been warned to give an audible warning. Next year we could use a glass bowl perhaps."

Story date: Friday 29 October

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