Comedian Bob Mortimer has triple heart bypass operation

Bob Mortimer (right) is best known as one half of comedy duo Vic and Bob with Vic Reeves

Bob Mortimer has cancelled the first leg of a UK tour with comedy partner Vic Reeves after undergoing a triple heart bypass operation.

Mortimer was due to take to the stage alongside Reeves in Glasgow next month as part of a 25th anniversary show.

Neil Reading, spokesman for Mortimer, 56, said he needed "several weeks" to recover from the operation.

Reeves said: "I'm so pleased the operation has gone well and Bob is fixed. Many thanks to the surgeon."

Their tour, 25 Years Of Reeves And Mortimer: The Poignant Moments, was due to start on 8 November.

Mr Reading said: "Bob would like to thank his consultant and all the nursing staff at the hospital for looking after him so well.

"He now needs several weeks to fully recover, so unfortunately the first leg of the UK tour will be cancelled.

"Bob very much hopes to be fit and well enough to perform the second leg in January next year."

Mortimer (left) and Reeves star in Vic and Bob's House of Fools

The tour is expected to combine elements from TV shows like Shooting Stars and Vic Reeves Big Night Out, with characters such as Man With The Stick, The Stotts and Mulligan and O'Hare.

All ticket holders for performances from 8 November to 4 December are advised to contact their point of purchase for a refund.

It is hoped the January and February 2016 shows will go ahead as planned.

Cancelled shows

• November: Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Sheffield, Bristol, Portsmouth, Plymouth

• December: Sheffield, Ipswich, Nottingham, Brighton

When the tour was announced earlier this year, Mortimer said: "Playing in front of a living audience is where it all began for us."

He added: "I will ensure that Vic arrives at all dates smartly dressed and unarmed. I promise not to mention football, JLS or apricots during the performances.

"Should you choose to attend, be warned - I will be not be wearing a toupee."

Mortimer took part in Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief earlier this year

Fellow comedians and broadcasters have wished Mortimer well on Twitter, including Jack Dee, Charlie Higson and Sherlock actor and writer Mark Gatiss who said: "All love and luck @RealBobMortimer for a speedy recovery, pet."

Absolute Radio presenter Christian O'Connell said: "Get well soon @RealBobMortimer. The man's a true gent and been making me laugh for years."

Pointless star Richard Osman wrote: "The loveliest, funniest man you could ever hope to meet. Get well soon."

What is a triple heart bypass?

The heart is covered in blood vessels that feed it with oxygen and nutrients.

But fatty deposits - which are more common in smokers or overweight people - can clog up these arteries.

A heart bypass - official known as a coronary artery bypass graft - uses blood vessels from other parts of the body to rewire the heart's blood supply.

Arteries and veins from the the arm, chest and leg are used to bypass any blockages.

Some patients have only a single bypass, but it is more common for two, three (a triple heart bypass) or four grafts to be needed.

It is a common operation with around 20,000 taking place in England alone every year.