A MOBILE phone specialist who feared losing his job when he went blind has started a new career helping others with sight problems.

Mark Skelton holds clinics at the O2 store in the Airedale Shopping Centre in Keighley, advising blind and partially-sighted customers on how to make the most of their phones and tablets.

He is blind in one eye and has only 20 per cent vision in the other, following problems caused by diabetes.

Mr Skelton, 39, said: "As an assistant manager with O2 I must have sold thousands of phones in my time, but since I started this new role I could probably name every customer I've helped make the most of their phones, with voice-activated devices and recognition software.

"I was diagnosed with diabetes on my 21st birthday and had problems with my sight on and off after that, but at the beginning of 2013 things got worse.

"I had to have three operations but by then I had a lot of scar tissue and developed retinopathy, where my retinas started to detach themselves.

"The complete loss of sight in one eye and reduction in the other all happened in just six months but in some ways I'm glad it was so quick.

"There wasn't anything I could do about it, so if it had been gradual over a long period of time I just would have been worrying and waiting."

As well as offering in-store instruction, Mr Skelton now works closely with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Guide Dogs charity to spread the word about the technology available to blind people.

He has also helped train 'gurus' in each O2 branch.

"I tried to hide what was happening to me as I was really worried about work but the company has been absolutely fantastic," he added.

"The MD suggested using the situation for something positive and we came up with this new role.

"I use a lot of technology to help with my sight problems but there are so many people who don't know how much they can do with their phones and tablets to make life easier for them."

Colleagues in the O2 Keighley branch are now planning events later in the year to raise money for Guide Dogs, while the company as a whole aims to raise £5,000 to sponsor a puppy.

Branch manager Saeed Nisar said: "The technology available on mobile phones these days can actually be really helpful to someone with sight problems so having Mark here to help people is brilliant.

"It proves that having a disability such as this doesn't mean your life has to stop."

Airedale Shopping Centre manager, Steve Seymour, said he was delighted at Mr Skelton's role.

"It is a great asset to the community of Keighley to have Mark available in this capacity to share his personal experiences of sight loss and also his technical knowledge and explain how it can help others," he said.