A Benfleet councillor is back and fighting fit after a five-hour heart operation.

Arthur Stevens, Labour member for St George's ward has now returned to his council duties after he had a heart valve replaced at St Bartholomew's hospital in London earlier this month.

Arthur, from Manor Road, Benfleet, said it was his second such heart operation..

He said: "Many years ago I had treatment, when they first developed heart surgery. The surgeons had to stretch my mitral valve in my heart with their fingers.

"That lasted for well on 30 years, but recently I felt I was deteriorating and was feeling the pain quite severely."

Despite the seriousness of his condition, Arthur admits he was quite confident of the operation.

"I was not really nervous, extremely confident in fact. I had seen other people have the surgery and were up and about within a few days. There were risks involved and I am on medication and have a booklet telling me how to exercise and what to do to keep on improving.

"The following day I was awake, the day after that I was sitting up and the next day I was walking."

He said the operation had improved the quality of his life.

"It was getting to the point where I could not walk up steep hills, had to use lifts everywhere and could not take holidays which included any amount of walking. But I'm on the road to recovery and pleased to be back at the council.".

He added: "For anyone who is thinking about such an operation, I can recommend it."

Road to recovery - Arthur Stevens has now returned to his council duties after a heart operation

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

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