A PENSIONER died of a heart attack after an operation, an inquest heard yesterday.

John George Spence, 66, a retired toolmaker, of York Hill Road, Spennymoor, died after surgery to remove his gall bladder at Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

The hearing was told that during the operation, Dr Ahmed Hassan decided it would be safer to make a hole in the gall bladder and remove the stones. A small tear, no more than 3mm, was created in the liver and it started to bleed.

Doctors were unable to stop the bleeding and transferred Mr Spence to the intensive treatment unit, where he suffered a heart attack and died that afternoon.

When asked if he should have done anything differently, Dr Hassan said: "I have thought about it 100 times and cannot find anything I could do."

Pathologist Dr Don Senadhira said a post-mortem examination revealed Mr Spence died of a heart attack, probably resulting from the bleeding.

Darlington and South Durham Coroner Colin Penna, sitting at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court, recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.