A PUB landlord who suffered a heart attack has thanked NHS staff for saving his life.

Andy Marcer, 51, who owns the Beehive, experienced chest pain after moving heavy barrels around in the cellar of the Prospect Hill establishment.

He told the Adver: “I felt this pain across my chest and my shoulders. At the time I thought it was because of the heavy barrels.

“Over the next couple of days, it went away a bit and then it came back again. And then I started feeling quite dizzy and sweaty.”

Andy rang his GP, who told him to go straight to A&E at the Great Western Hospital.

“The last time when I was in A&E was probably five or six years ago, at the time it was a nightmare and it was really busy,” Andy said.

“This time it was totally different, it was a great experience, all very efficient, and very well organised.”

He added: “I went to the receptionist straight away and then there was a nurse who did a very quick assessment, which probably took five or 10 minutes, asking the basic questions and it took probably 20 minutes before I was called through. It was all very quick.

“When they called me through, they took blood tests, they did an ECG test and after the test I could tell that something wasn’t quite right. They kept looking at me.

“I was actually having a heart attack while I was there.”

Andy was transferred to hospital in Bristol to undergo emergency heart surgery.

He said: “I’ve never had anything like this before, so I was kind of expecting when we got to Bristol to be transferred to a ward.

"But when we got there, they wheeled me down this little corridor and straight to the operating room, with a full operating team waiting for me, which was all a bit of a shock.

“If I had more time to think about it, it would have been scary, but it was all so quick so before I knew it was happening, I was lying on the table.

"I was concerned but I wasn’t frightened at such.”

Doctors told Andy his heart attack was caused by a combination of things.

“I’m reasonably healthy," he said. "I’ve never had health problems. It wasn’t one specific thing that happened.

“I have smoked most of my life.

“I’ve not had one single cigarette yet since what happened. Hopefully, I’ll keep that up.”

He added: “All the way through the staff was excellent.

“Huge thanks to the staff in Swindon, the ambulance crew and the team in Bristol for your professionalism and empathy. You saved my life.”