A HEART attack survivor is ready to run the London Marathon just 15 months after undergoing lifesaving surgery.

Vince Catton is taking on the London Marathon on 22 April for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), raising more than £3,000 for the cause already.

He is running for the charity after what happened on 4 January last year.

After never showing any previous signs of heart problems, the 52-year-old suddenly felt a massive pain in his chest during a business trip in Oxford.

He said:"One second I’m alright, the next I’m on death’s door. I had no ill health and no-one can really tell me why and what really happened.

“I actually went to the gym that morning, I felt absolutely fine. I got out the shower then one second later, wallop.

“It can happen to anyone.

“I never had any ill health or high blood pressure and my cholesterol was low.”

Luckily the hotel Mr Catton was staying at was two miles from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. He phoned for an ambulance and within two hours, he was out of surgery. He said: “By the time my wife got to hospital, as we live in Andover, I was sat up in bed having a cup of tea and a sandwich.”

The St Thomas Close resident added: “Four months later I saw the consultant he said it doesn’t get any better than the result I had, I had no heart damage.

“Getting through a heart attack is psychological. I was struggling a little bit, having a few panic attack which I had never had before. I contacted the British Heart Foundation because I needed support and someone to talk to.”

After receiving the support he needed from the BHF, Mr Catton now volunteers on a panel to help the organisation with the information it gives to those with heart problems.

He said:”They are an amazing organisation. The British Heart Foundation even have their own support team for runners. I’ve never learnt so much about running.

“I want to get round in under five hours. If I can do that I’d be over the moon. It’ll be the biggest achievement I’ve ever got, especially after all I’ve been through.”

To donate, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/vince-catton.