Egg throwing yobs blind limo driver; CRIME: Reward put up in hunt for attackers after dad faces losing livelihood.

Byline: By Chris Henwood

A BIRMINGHAM limo driver faces losing his driving licence after being left blinded by an egg throwing gang.

Father-of-two Chris Hathaway was taking five children, aged four to 11, on a birthday outing in the back of his fire engine limo when they all came under fire.

The vehicle had pulled up in Solihull's Damson Lane to collect another party-going youngster.

The attack blinded the 36-year-old in his right eye, and doctors have warned him his livelihood is under threat unless his vision returns.

"The children were talking to me when I heard somebody shouting beside me," said Mr Hathaway, who runs the Midlands operation of of national firm Novelty Limos.

"I looked out and there were some guys parked next to me and they threw eggs straight into my face.

"I was almost knocked unconscious with the force they threw them at me and I was blinded in my right eye - it was very painful."

Unable to drive, Mr Hathaway was taken to Heartlands Hospital by his mum, Eileen.

Doctors found he'd suffered multiple lacerations to his eyeball and referred him to an eye specialist in Dudley's City Hospital, who later came to the same conclusion.

Mr Hathaway continues to suffer blurred vision following the attack last week and has another appointment in the coming weeks to find out if his sight problems are permanent.

"I can't drive the limos at the moment and if I find out that the problem's permanent then I have to inform the DVLA, in Swansea, and they'll take my licence off me, that would be devastating," he added.

Mr Hathaway believes his attackers were driving either a black Seat Leon or an Audi A3, and has offered a pounds 500 reward for their identities.

"The people involved should be ashamed and it was very lucky that I was not moving at time otherwise there could have been a serious accident," he said.

Mr Hathaway can be contacted on 0800 2346122.

CAPTION(S):

ORDEAL... Chris Hathaway's vision may not return.; NOVELTY...Chris Hathaway in his fire engine.