Eye spy the pole

Researchers told yesterday how they battled terrible conditions in a trek to the South Pole to help in the study of disabling eye diseases.

The team led by optometrist Cameron Hudson, measured sleep quality in the Antarctic's 24-hour daylight conditions.

But the weather was so tough, the oldest member of the team, 70-year-old Peter Blaikie, was evacuated with frostbite before they got to the Pole.

Yesterday, Hudson said: "We experienced some horrendous conditions and had to cover 350 nautical miles in 20 days, roughly the equivalent of a marathon every day."

But he added: "To get to the Pole was an incredibly thrilling experience."

The team from Cardiff University measured the effects 24-hour daylight has on the body clock and the level of the hormone melatonin produced. Light affects melatonin levels, which can cause disease.

Hudson believes the research will provide more understanding of how sleeping conditions can damage cells in the eye. The team also raised funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the International Glaucoma Association and the Royal Institute for the Blind.