A miller has dipped into his own pocket and turned aid worker to try to help 1,500 people with eyesight problems in an Indian village.

Harbhur Gill, 52, of East Challow, near Wantage, has returned from Pholriwala, in Punjab, where he organised a one-day eye camp, offering free treatment to cure patients of their eye problems.

The father-of-two — who used his life savings to fund half of the £4,000 project — said: “The idea came to me when l saw lots of people on the television who were so poor. They had no help at all. I thought I should do something because we are living in a fairly well off country.

“There are massive numbers of people with eye problems in India, mainly cataracts which lead to blindness.”

Mr Gill, who works at Wessex Mill, Wantage, got support from Punjab eye specialist, Dr Parminder Thind and his team, who carried out examinations and operations in the village on November 18.

About 45 cataract operations were performed, 400 people were given free glasses and 1,010 people claimed free medicine for eye infections.

Mr Gill, who came to England in 1980 to marry his wife Pat, 45, said: “There were about 1,500 people who came to the village where we held the camp, and by 3pm the specialist had checked all of them.”

One 20-year-old girl needed £300 worth of treatment for a serious condition affecting her sight.

Mr Gill added: “She was a young girl and I thought ‘she has her whole life ahead of her’. She was trying to study but her eyes were so bad. So, I said go for it, because it was my mission to help people.”

Cataract operations were carried out, with patients taken to and from a nearby hospital for the 10-minute operation in mini buses.

He said: “It was a very moving experience. A couple of ladies were pulling their daughters behind them because they couldn’t see anything. They got their eyesight back so it was a big difference.”

Mr Gill raised £450 from a collection tin, which he kept on the counter at Barnards Way Post Office, where his wife works.

He also received donations from a local doctor, family and friends, but the rest was self-funded.

He said: “I want to thank everyone who has helped. My intention is to do this every year.”

wantage@oxfordmail.co.uk