A TEENAGER has been left devastated after becoming blind for the second time - and being told that now it is for life.

Doctors said the nerve endings in Michael Harrison's eyes had died after he lost his sight suddenly while working on the check-out at Burnley's Asda store on Monday.

The 18-year-old of Badger Close, Padiham, first lost his sight over a weekend in summer 2005 when he was diagnosed with incurable Leber's optic neuropathy Health experts believed he was the only boy in East Lancashire with the disease, which affects only one in 30,000 people aged between 16 to 24.

The Nelson and Colne College student got his sight back a year later but on Monday his eyesight suddenly went again and doctors have told him there is no hope of it returning.

Michael said: "I feel like my dreams have been destroyed in one stroke. I was quite upset as I thought I would have to leave college.

"But I plan on carrying on with my IT course. The college has been really good and installed a programme called JAWS on to my lap top and it talks to me when I turn my PC on."

Michael's mum Kath Harrison, 48, said: "It came as a complete shock when we found out he would never see again.

"We are all supporting him. Michael has taken the news really well and is just trying to get on with his life in the best way he can.

"He can't cook for himself now or go out on to main roads by himself but all his friends are there for him and if he wants to go out one of them will pick him up. It's going to be hard but he's a strong person."

GP Dr Tom Smith, said the rare inherited disease almost inevitably leads to blindness.

He said: "You get a flare-up of the optic nerve, which gets inflamed and swollen and you can recover your vision from this.

"However, finally it is almost certain you will lose your eyesight and there is no treatment for the condition. That's almost certainly what happened here."

Michael is determined to keep working at the supermarket, where bosses have said they will look at finding him work elsewhere in the store.

The teenager is also keen to continue his fundraising efforts for Burnley and District Blind Society.

Michael has organised a 10-mile walk on June 2 for the blind society and hopes to raise £500 to £600.

Tony Booth, section leader for vocational programmes at the college, said a speech synthesis system, which finds and reads information out, would be installed.

He said: "He is an inspiration really.

"What he has done for charity is fantastic.

"He is a very bright, intelligent and conscientious student and we will provide the help and support he needs. "