A TEENAGER was left blinded in one eye when an egg she was cooking in the microwave "exploded" in her face.

Courtney Wood, 19, a care assistant from Newcastle-under-Lyme, suffered horrific injuries and temporary blindness to both eyes following the accident on Boxing Day morning.

Recalling the frightening incident, Courtney told the Stoke Sentinel: "I had put some bacon under the grill and then I put a cracked egg in a jug with a bit of water - as I have done before - and popped it in the microwave for a minute.

"The microwave didn't ping so I took the egg back out, popped it on the side and checked on the bacon.

"When I turned back towards the jug the egg exploded in my face."

Courtney, who lives by herself, sprinted to the bathroom in agony and splashed cold water on her face.

She then called a friend who arrived straight away and drove her to the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Doctors told her the burns wouldn't cause any permanent damage but said she had scratched the surface of both her corneas.

Courtney said: "The sight in my right eye came back within 48 hours but I still can't see properly out of my left."

The 19-year-old, who has been staying with her mum Tracy since the incident, added: "Doctors have told me the sight in my left eye may not be restored for a week or maybe even longer.

"This was the worst pain I have ever suffered. It was horrific.

"I would hate anyone else to have to go through what I have been through."