MP Mike Hancock faces major heart operation

Mike Hancock: Hopes to be back in parliament soon

Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock has been admitted to hospital for several weeks to have major heart surgery.

He underwent an operation at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth on Wednesday to place a stent in one of his arteries.

However, the operation was not a success and the Portsmouth South MP now faces more surgery.

Mr Hancock, 66, had been suffering from angina but declared he would be back at work soon.

<link> <caption>In a statement,</caption> <url href="http://www.mikehancock.co.uk/news/732/24/Mike-Hancock-MP-in-hospital-for-several-weeks/" platform="highweb"/> </link> Mr Hancock said: "I am very grateful to the dedicated work of the doctors and nurses in the NHS.

"I am also very grateful for people's good wishes and the support of my family and my colleagues in Parliament.

"My offices in Portsmouth and London will continue to be open and staffed and I will be dealing with correspondence etc. in hospital.

"I hope to be back in parliament as soon as possible."

Mr Hancock had recently gone to his GP with unstable angina.

He is expected to be transferred to Southampton General Hospital for further surgery.

He has held the Portsmouth South seat for the Liberal Democrats since 1997. He is also a Portsmouth city councillor.

Mr Hancock was at the centre of government allegations in 2011 that his aide was a Russian spy.

But the Special Immigration Appeals Commission said it had seen nothing to support the allegations against Katia Zatuliveter.