A COUNCILLOR last week suffered a heart attack but managed to call and apologise he would miss a meeting from the back of an ambulance.

Royston Town Council member Graham Palmer was rushed to Lister Hospital in Stevenage, on Wednesday but got in touch with a colleague to say he would miss a meeting of the Royston Conservative Association.

The 55-year-old said: “I was going to chair the meeting that night and I did ring one of the councillors and they asked what the matter was. I said ‘I’m in an ambulance on the way to hospital, I won’t be there tonight’.”

Cllr Palmer was initially not aware he had suffered a heart attack and simply thought he had overdone it decorating over the bank holiday weekend.

The self employed electrician said: “I thought I had pushed myself too much and pulled a muscle, but when I still felt rough I went to the doctors.

“Luckily he insisted on doing an ECG and discovered I had had a heart attack and had blocked arteries.”

The doctor called an ambulance and Cllr Palmer had a stent put in at Lister Hospital. When he failed to recover, he was transferred to Harefield Hospital.

Fortunately things improved and the father-of-five is now back at home in Royston – but he will not be attending any council meetings for a while.

“I just want to thank everyone for all the cards that have come through and thanks to everybody who has come over to check on me.”

Council leader Bob Smith has wished him a quick recovery.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and we hope he makes a speedy recovery,” he said.