A GRANDFATHER has been left blind in one eye after he was attacked just minutes from his home.

Graham Hart, a 60-year-old cab driver, was walking home on the A20 at Larkfield, following a stroll to West Malling when he was “smashed” in the face.

His attacker, thought to be aged between 17 and 20, approached Mr Hart asking for a cigarette.

When Mr Hart said he did not have any, the youth demanded to know if he was looking at one of his female friends. Mr Hart denied he was – and was attacked.

The youth hit him hard in the face with a bag, containing what is believed to have been a bottle or brick, splitting open his eye and leaving him bleeding heavily.

Mr Hart, a cabbie in Medway for 27 years, has now been told he must face life partially-sighted.

Although he has refused to become a frightened victim, Mr Hart admitted the experience has left him “weak” and “exhausted”.

He said: “I went to hospital and they repaired my eye. It was all cut and bleeding. I had stitching in my eyeball.

“I am going for tests but the specialist keeps saying 'do you realise you’re never going to get your sight back?’

“It’s horrible really.”

Although his insurance company has told him he can still drive, Mr Hart said was not sure he wanted to continue working as a cabbie.

The attack has also left the father-of-three Mr Hart disappointed that his home village of Larkfield should have hit such a low.

“On and off it’s pretty bad here – but a lot of it’s petty,” he said.

A Maidstone and Malling Police spokeswoman Gianna Pollero said: “This is isolated, not the sort of thing that happens every five minutes. A lot of work is going in to tracking down who’s responsible.”

Witnesses or anyone with any information about the attack which happened on Sunday, September 25, at about 8.40pm, are asked to call police on 01622 608189 or Crimestoppers.