A BLIND woman is walking 1,000 steps a day for a week to "give the gift of sight" to others.

Margaret Weir has been dubbed "Brighton's Captain Tom" for her efforts to raise money for a blindness charity.

The 86-year-old, who is registered blind and has had a rare form of glaucoma for the past 40 years, said she wants to help people in other parts of the world where eye surgery is not easily available.

She said: "I have a minimum of sight - it feels like I'm walking around in fog a lot of the time but I live independently.

"I've had five operations over the years. It's been a long journey and I've had superb attention.

The Argus: Margaret Weir with her walking frameMargaret Weir with her walking frame

"I could have been blind a lot sooner but they have always worked to preserve my sight, which I'm tremendously grateful for - all under the NHS.

"One of the reasons I really want to do this is I sort of feel like I'm at the end of my life.

"I had good sight for quite a bit of that time but there are people who are much younger in the developing world, and if only they could have surgery it would give them better chances in life.

"I just feel I want to give the gift of sight, which means so much to us all."

Margaret has so far raised more than £2,000 for the Christian Blind Mission's Light up Lives scheme, which funds sight-restoring surgery across the world's poorest places.

The grandmother-of-nine has been walking 1,000 steps every day for the past week, mostly in Surrenden Park, near her home.

She is due to complete her seven day walking mission today.

Margaret said: "I went down to Hove Promenade for one day which was wonderful, as I'd not been there in over a year.

"I feel good for the walking myself - 1,000 steps sounds like an awful lot but I'm enjoying the experience of getting regular exercise in this way.

"I have a three-wheel walker, like Captain Tom. I can walk with that without anyone else and have been doing it on my own.

"I'm just so thankful that the donations have come in - people have been very generous."

To donate to Margaret's fundraiser, visit her JustGiving page.