Man fears he won't live to see his next birthday after his heart operation was cancelled

A man who has suffered 11 heart attacks fears he might not live to see his 60th birthday next month, after his operation was cancelled because of a lack of beds.

Ricky Ford from Stafford says he suffers almost constant pain from a implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) which was fitted in March last year.

The ICD sends electrical pulses to regulate abnormal heart rhythm, but his device needs moving.

Ricky describes the moment he found out his operation was cancelled.

The operation is now meant to happen tomorrow (30 August), but Ricky is worried it could be cancelled again.

Latest figures show there were 156 cancelled operations at the Royal Stoke and County Hospital in June.