Nigel Spencer, who was due to marry in the Dominican Republic last Wednesday, was walking home from the pub when youths drove past and threw an egg out their car window.

He suffered a damaged retina and bleeding behind his eye, and doctors fear he will never see out of it again.

Nigel's bride-to-be, Johanne Berry, 35, said: "We want people to see what damage it's done. They think it's a Hallowe'en prank but it's cost us his sight and our wedding."

However the police don't hold out any hopes of prosecuting anyone for the offence. They have told the couple that even if they manage to trace the car they would not be able to prove who threw the egg.

Ms Berry said her fiance was walking up the road when he heard something whizz past him.

"He looked round and it hit him. He was bent down with his hand over his eye and when he moved his hand away there was blood all over it.," she explained.

The attack happened late afternoon on Sunday Novemer 2 as he walked home with his son after watching a football match at the pub in Stapleford.

To make matters worse Nigel's prospective in-laws have had to fly out to the Caribbean because they were not able to claim the cancellation on their insurance.

Nigel was signed off work for a further month on Monday. He is now taking two lots of tablets, six lots of drops and has to go for hospital check-ups every day.

Mr Spencer was told that flying would cause more damage because of the pressure, so the couple have re-booked their wedding at a hotel in Nuthall.

The couple, who live in Stapleford, would like to thank staff at Ilkeston Co-op, particularly Mike Powell, for helping them cancel the holiday and re-book the wedding.

Ms Berry, 35, said: "The people who did this ought to be disgusted with themselves for what they've done to this family. We've got to pay for another wedding before we get our money back and he's lost money through not working. We're in a complete mess."