RECENTLY-retired Pendle mayor, Coun Frank Clifford, was due to undergo major heart surgery in Blackpool today.

Surgeons were preparing to carry out a quadruple heart by-pass at Blackpool Victoria Hospital - just six weeks after the leading health campaigner suffered a heart attack.

Subsequent in-patient tests at Blackpool revealed the extent of the long-serving Labour councillor's heart condition and need for early surgery.

He was discharged from hospital last month but re-admitted to Burnley General after suffering further severe chest pain.

Coun Clifford was unable to attend this month's annual meeting of Pendle Council where he would have formally handed over his mayoral chain of office to incoming civic leader, Jo Belbin, at the end of his one-year term of office.

The youngest man ever to serve on the former Nelson Council, Coun Clifford was recently elected to another two-year term as chairman of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council, the area's patient watchdog group.

His illness prevented him from campaigning in the recent county council elections in which he was runner-up to Conservative, Sheila Derwent, in the Brierfield and Pendleside ward.

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