A man who is severely sight-impaired says smart glasses that allow remote assistants to see his surroundings have helped him gain confidence and independence.

Ian Torrie, 52, from Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, lost most of his sight about six years ago after a stroke. For nearly a year, he has been using AI-powered Meta smart glasses to help him with everyday tasks.

Using an app, Torrie can call on remote volunteers for assistance with cooking, finding misplaced items and even checking whether his shoes match.

"It's just amazing technology," he said. "Life-changing technology."

Torrie, a publicity and social group coordinator at Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society, based in Louth, said the glasses can make phone calls, send text messages and play music.

Torrie told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that a free app, called Be My Eyes, immediately connected him to a volunteer who could see through the glasses' camera, speak to him and give him live information.

He said the service helped him carry out everyday tasks, like cooking, when his wife or children were not around.

Torrie said: "I phone it because I can't find the remote control or because I can't find my phone, or [to ask] 'am I wearing matching shoes?' - all of those everyday things that as a sighted person you don't think about."

Smart glasses have come under scrutiny following multiple reports of them being used to secretly film and harass people.

As a result of the backlash, the glasses have been banned in courtrooms and some schools, as well as some pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres.

"It does make me a little bit worried sometimes," Torrie said. "If I'm in a shop, I do have to use that command 'hey Meta' so people do know what I'm doing.

"There is a risk and it sort of feels that risk might be growing with some of the negative media coverage about the glasses."

He added: "For me, it's every day, out and about in the street, just being worried that somebody's going to confront me about them.

"That's the main concern, but so far that hasn't happened."

Ingrid Ashton, fundraising and publicity coordinator at the Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society, said she hoped people would recognise how "life-changing" the technology is.

The charity supports more than 1,750 people across Lincolnshire and said 30 service users currently use the glasses, with many describing the technology as giving them "a new lease of life".

Ashton said: "It's new technology and though some people are scared of it and think people might use it for wrong, people can use their phones to take pictures surreptitiously.

"If somebody's going to do that sort of thing, they'll find a way to do it anyway.

"I don't think we should blame the glasses, we should blame the person with the glasses."

Torrie added: "At the Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society, we're all about people leading their best independent life as they possibly can, and these glasses are a really useful tool for that.

"It would be very unfortunate indeed if that tool was taken away."

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