FYLDE heart transplant man Peter Mulloy has roared back to full fitness as a king of the road.

The 55-year-old, who received a new heart last year after eight cardiac arrests, passed his test first time after just five days' intensive tuition and is now powering round Poulton on a 535cc Yamaha.

In May, the daredevil Peter took to the skies in a hot air balloon to celebrate the first anniversary of his transplant.

"I hadn't ridden a bike since the 1960s, and I'd never taken a test," said Peter, of Victoria Road. "But it's something I'd always hankered after and I really enjoy the freedom of it. "I thought it might be an inspiration to anyone awaiting heart bypass surgery or even a transplant - life does go on and you can live a normal life."

Next Tuesday (October 26), Peter is hoping to meet Professor Christian Barnard, the South African cardiac surgeon who pioneered the first-ever heart transplant in 1967.

Prof Barnard is visiting Wythenshawe Hospital, where Peter had his operation, to launch a £1.5m appeal for a purpose-built transplant unit.

Peter, a parts manager for a commercial vehicle firm before his illness, is one of a select few heart transplant patients whose donor is still alive.

He regularly exchanges progress reports with his donor, 41-year-old district nurse Julie Warner, from Chelmsford, Essex, who needed a heart-lung transplant.

Her healthy heart went to Peter in a "domino" operation and she too recently got back on the road, driving herself back to work part-time.

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