A SCHOOLGIRL trailblazer for the visually impaired has been presented with a special pair of life-enhancing spectacles.

Adele Waterfall-Brown was the first visually impaired pupil in the Darlington area to attend a mainstream school.

She was a pupil at Hummersknot School and is now at Darlington College of Technology doing A-levels.

Staff at kitchen manufacturer Magnet, in Darlington, heard about Adele's achievements and decided to raise some money to help her.

Staff at the help desk of the company organised a collection while colleagues completed a sponsored bike ride to raise funds.

The money has been used to buy a pair of electronic glasses for Adele, of the sort more usually used to play computer games.

The glasses, made by Sega, have mini-screens in the lenses used to magnify whatever she wishes to view.

They can be connected to a television, computer screen or video camera.

Adrian Falk, from Magnet, said: "I know Adele and when I heard about these glasses I thought they might help her.

"Adele has very limited vision but these glasses will mean she no longer has to sit with her nose pressed against the TV screen and if she wants to go out with them on she could be able to see better."

Adele was presented with the glasses at Magnet this week.