Oscar-winning British actress Judi Dench has lost part of her eyesight and struggles to read film scripts or see people sitting directly in front of her.

The 77-year-old, who plays the spy chief M in the James Bond films, said she has developed an age-related condition called macular degeneration.

In an interview with Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper on Saturday, Dench said it had affected her sight in both eyes, although she has received treatment which she hopes will prevent further damage.

"I can't read scripts anymore because of the trouble with my eyes," Dench was quoted as saying. "Somebody comes in and reads them to me, like telling me a story.

"It's usually my daughter or my agent or a friend and actually I like that, because I sit there and imagine the story in my mind.

"I've got what my ma had, macular degeneration, which you get when you get old."

Dench's agent could not immediately be reached for comment.

Just under a third of Britons aged 75 or over have signs of macular degeneration, a painless condition that erodes central vision and leaves peripheral sight unaffected, according to Britain's National Health Service.

Reuters