A woman who feared she might lose the sight in one eye after being attacked in the Lidget Green disturbances is on the road to recovery.

Julie Cook, the Derbyshire nurse whose injuries were the worst of any victim's on April 15, is now back behind the wheel of her car after extensive medical treatment.

The 39-year-old and her family were initially anxious that her major facial and eye injuries might result in permanent damage. There were fears that she would no longer be able to do her job as a roving occupational health expert for the Remploy organisation, which provides jobs for disabled people. It relies on her being able to drive.

But she is now much improved and has been given the all-clear by medics to drive again.

She told the Telegraph & Argus: "I am now doing okay and improving. I have got a contact lens for my left eye so that's good news. I am still getting a lot of pain but am seeing my consultant today to try to get that sorted out."

She added that she was still not back at work.

"I want to go back, but my employer wants to wait a bit longer until I have got some new glasses."

She said she is being kept in touch with the progress of the investigation by detectives in Bradford.

Julie, a keen horsewoman, was visiting her sister Jane in Allerton on the night of the disturbances and drove by accident right into the trouble while trying to find her way back to the motorway.

A brick was thrown through the side window of her Isuzu Trooper 4x4 vehicle, catching her full in the face.

A 19-year-old has been arrested and released without charge by detectives probing the attack.

Witnesses who saw a brick being thrown at the junction of Horton Grange Road and Great Horton Road at 11pm on Sunday, April 15 should call police on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.