A STATE-OF-THE-ART retinal scanner has potentially already saved lives after being installed at a town centre opticians.

David Lundstram Opticians, on Sankey Street, is the first in Cheshire to embrace the new technology and already found a possible melanoma and a hemorrhage which could be indicative of diabetes before any other symptoms.

David Lundstram said: “Most opticians have a camera but this is vastly better.

“I can now see up to 82 per cent of the retina and cameras normally see about 30 to 35 per cent.

“The (melanoma) patient would have had no symptoms at all and if iti s a melanoma it will have been caught early which is always important.

“This technology has only been available in the last 12 months for the high street and the images are amazing.”