Edith Jones, from Skewen, Neath, is believed to be the oldest person in Wales to have cataracts removed from both eyes.

I came back and had fish and chips to celebrate

Edith Jones, 105

Cataracts, which form when cells in the lens of the eye become cloudy, are the leading cause of blindness world-wide.

Mrs Jones, who has lived in three centuries, said her sight has improved dramatically since her eye operation.

She said: "My eyes are much better - I could hardly see before.

"I can see television much better.

"The only things I am waiting for now are my reading glasses."

The centenarian was born in 1896 during the reign of Queen Victoria so she will now be able to see a second monarch's Golden Jubilee.

The operations were performed on the NHS in Swansea's Singleton hospital. Surgery was carried out on her right eye in December 2001 and on her left eye in February 2002.

Mrs Jones added: "I think the NHS is fantastic - we never had it when I was a little girl.

"I must say the staff at the hospital were wonderful to me.

Surgery was performed in Swansea's Singleton hospital

"They wanted me to stay in for a couple of nights afterwards but I thought I could go home because I was all right.

"I came back and had fish and chips to celebrate.

"I went in on a Wednesday morning at eight o'clock, was back home by a quarter to one and went to a concert by Neath Male Voice Choir in the evening and sang along," said the pensioner.

A cataract is a clouding of part of the eye lens.

Vision becomes blurred or dim because light cannot pass through the clouded lens to the back of the eye.

Cataracts can form at any age, but most often develop as people get older.

More than half of people over 65 have some cataract development and most cases can be treated successfully with surgery.

Cake and sherry

In younger people they can result from an injury, certain drugs, long-standing inflammation or illnesses such as diabetes.

The surgery to remove Mrs Jones's cataracts was performed by consultant ophthalmologist Geraint Davies.

He said: "She is definitely the oldest patient I have ever operation on and I am extremely pleased she has benefited from the surgery."

Mrs Jones will be 106 in October and she puts her longevity down to not smoking, a daily dinner of a meat and two vegetables with plenty of fruit.

However, she does admit to enjoying the occasional cream cake and a glass of sherry.