Blind man devastated after iPad is snatched

A man who lost his sight just over two years ago has been left devastated after burglars stole the iPad which he said had changed his life.

Dean Blackwood and his partner Amy Pegg were in bed asleep when the burglars entered their Bearwood home on March 10. The intruders hooked the keys out of the back of the door via the cat flap.

They then helped themselves to two games consoles, a vacuum cleaner, a laptop and Mr Blackwood's iPad.

The iPad was a gift from Miss Pegg and is fitted with voice recognition software. He said: "The iPad changed my life, and I actually cried when I received it. It will read out websites and documents to me, it has all my music and podcasts on it.

"This means that instead of having to ask Amy to put a CD on, I can do it myself. Before I had relied on Amy to read me things, and write emails, but with it I can write my own emails, and messages. It makes me much more independent."

Mr Blackwood, aged 38, went blind in 2009, after diabetes complications.

He said: "I went for an eye test in 2007, and they noticed some bleeding at the back of my eyes."

Despite an operation and other treatments the specialists were unable to stop his sight deteriorating and he lost his sight in two years.

Miss Pegg, aged 29, said she has been left feeling scared and vulnerable by the burglary.

The local community are now pulling together to help out the couple, and Team Bearwood have organised a car wash to help fund a new iPad.

The car wash will run from 10am to 2pm at Lightwoods House, Bearwood.

Police are urging anyone with information on the theft to contact them on 101.