A THUG launched a "despicable" attack on a youngster just because he was blind.

Paul Tunstill, 22, punched and strangled partially-sighted 17-year-old student Michael Harrison in a Padiham pub.

Tunstill, of Shakespeare Street, Padiham, knocked his victim out and smashed two of his teeth in the unprovoked beating.

Now he has been jailed for the attack, which has been slammed by blind campaigners.

Brenda Midgley, from the Burnley and District Society for the Blind, said the attack "beggars belief". She said: "It is bad enough when this sort of thing happens to anyone but to target someone who is blind or visually impaired is totally outrageous."

Tunstill was charged with actual bodily harm and at Burnley Crown Court last week he was sentenced to a total of 150 days in prison for the attack.

Michael, who suffers from a rare disease called Leber's Optic Neuropathy, has now spoken out against his attacker.

He said: "I was an easy target and I think that's why he went for me. He knocked me unconscious for absolutely no reason. He knew I couldn't defend myself and he went for me.

"The incident really shook me up and my jaw was very painful."

Michael was struck down with a rare and devastating disease last year when he completely lost his sight over just one weekend. Despite some improve-ments, his vision was very poor at the time of the attack. Now it has returned in his right eye but completely gone in his left.

He was attacked in the Hand and Shuttle Pub, Eccleshill Street on March 29. The pub is run by the parents of one of Michael's friends and he was enjoying a quiet evening.

Michael said the attack saw Tunstill lunge at him and begin to strangle him. He was then grabbed in a headlock before he passed out. He said one of Tunstill's friends helped revive him but as he began to recover he was flattened with a punch to the face, smashing two teeth and injuring his eye.

Michael, who lives with mum Cath, 47, dad David, 52, and sister 13-year-old Nicola in Badger Close, Padiham, fled upstairs and called 999.

He was taken to hospital and the following day underwent treatment at his dentist's to repair his damaged teeth.

Michael was forced to drop out of studies at Burnley College last year but is now studying a three-year IT course at Nelson and Colne College. He has been told it is unlikely sight will return to his left eye.