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A dad has had top have his eyeball removed after it was scratched by stranger’s fingernail in a holiday accident. Lee Cuthbert had been playing volleyball with his children, Mia, and Charlie in their hotel pool.

The game quickly turned into a friendly competition as other holiday-goers got involved. But the 46-year-old, from Leicester, was left with blood streaming from his right eye. His wife, Rachael, 41, was "horrified" when she opened her husband’s eyelid to see the damage.

She said: “I gasped with horror as I saw his eye. He told me one of the other players had caught him with their nail when they reached out for the ball. It dug in and slashed his eye right in the middle. I couldn’t help but panic as I rushed to find help.”

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Rachael, Lee and their two kids had jetted off to Mexico for two weeks in an all-inclusive resort. After the accident, a nurse was thankfully nearby who urged the family to rush to hospital. Rachael stayed with the children as Lee’s parents whisked him off to be seen.

When he returned the next morning, though, she learned the true reality of his “nick”. She said: “He had a huge bandage covering his eye. It was stitched back together, but it was only temporary. When the player hit him, his eyeball exploded instantly.

“Lee would never get his sight back and it took a while for him to accept this. It was red raw inside as I cleaned it carefully. Our trip had been ruined as he had to stay cooped up in the bedroom away from any sunlight or water.”

A week into their trip in October 2017, the family was told to fly back to the UK. Daily tasks, such as making a cup of tea, became impossible as he wasn’t able to see what he was doing properly.

And then, a year later, he had to get part of his eye removed and replaced with a prosthetic. Luckily, the result looked “so real” that the bricklayer’s anxiety began to subside. The family filed a claim through their insurer, who paid out £15,000.

Now, they’ve come to terms with their new normal – and Lee hasn’t been put off playing in pools. Rachael added: “He still loves snorkelling or playing water games. He’s quickly returned to my daredevil hubby.”