A DEAF teenager who is also going blind yesterday took up her latest challenge - an abseil from the Tyne Bridge.

Nicola Henderson, 18, from Blyth, Northumberland, has Usher syndrome, which meant she was born unable to hear.

She has been losing her sight since the age of 12 and now has tunnel vision, a process that is set to continue.

But the youngster, who works in a supermarket, is determined to live life to the full and be a positive role model for disabled people.

The sponsored 80ft abseil, was organised by Sense, one of the country's leading charities for people who are deaf and blind, and Disability North.

Nicola has already done a wing walk on an aircraft and made a 13,000 ft parachute jump for which the British Parachute Association gave her its award for outstanding courage.

A spokesman for Sense said: "What makes these stunts so outstanding is that Nicola has Usher Syndrome.

"Usher is a genetic condition causing deafness and sight loss, leading to blindness from late teens, but Nicola is determined not to let her disability ruin her life."