I have a 3 year

I have a 3 year old Sony DCR-DVD202E Camcorder which has worked perfectly up until yesterday, when the lens cover refused to open. Other thsn this the camera powers up normally and the LCD screen shows a white dot where light is entering through the cover

I have tried changing the battery, switching the camera on and off many times, powering it from the AC adaptor and, at the suggestion of Sony, resetting the camera. None of this has worked. It is possible to open the cover manually, so it isn't jammed.

Any ideas would be welcome before I part with a lot of money!!