ROMANIAN orphans wept when they were told Santa Claus wasn't visiting them this year.

But they soon found themselves crying tears of joy when they discovered they will be getting something better four months after Christmas -- a visit from eye doctors!

The team of doctors will visit with volunteers from the House of Children Charity, an Accrington-based organisation which for five years has helped the children living at an orphanage in Tarnu Severn.

Usually, husband and wife team Dorothy and Tony Hindley, parents of rescued yachtsman Andrew Hindley, join fellow charity founders Mary and Jeffrey Walmsley, of Accrington, in going to the orphanage before Christmas with presents.

But when they made their summertime trip this year they had to tell the children Santa wasn't coming this year, partly because the couple were expecting to be watching their son in The Race, a yachting event, aboard the £4 million Team Philips superyacht.

This weekend, the crew had to rescued after their boat was battered by 50ft waves. Tony, of Manchester Road, Accrington, said: "We have done the Santa thing for five years now and the children love it. It is lovely seeing their faces light up when they get presents.

"But one big problem many of them have is that they have squints or other easily-correctable eye problems.

"So we arranged to get a team of eye doctors from Chorley Hospital to come out with us, but they cannot go until April and the charity can't afford for us to go out twice.

"They seemed really upset when they were told we couldn't visit them at Christmas but when they found out what we would be doing in April they were over the moon."

Some 30 children will be operated on during the doctors' stay.

Tony added: "It will be a great benefit to all the children whose lives will improve as a result of this operation.

"Of course, we had planned to be in Barcelona to watch Andrew sail off, which would have meant we were away over Christmas, but obviously that isn't going to happen now.

"We are still going to Barcelona to see the start of the race."

Most of the charity's cash is raised at a charity shop in Barnes Street, Clayton-le-Moors. If you can help, ring 01254 233032.