Ed Miliband recovers after nose operation

Ed Miliband's operation lasted an hour

Labour leader Ed Miliband has had surgery on his nose to deal with a sleep condition.

The operation - aimed at curing his sleep apnoea, which interrupts breathing - was successful, a spokesman said.

Mr Miliband will rest at home with his family for a few days before leaving for a summer holiday.

Sleep apnoea is thought to affect 180,000 people in the UK, and is more common among men than women.

It is a respiratory condition in which the throat repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, stopping air getting into the lungs and waking up the sufferer.

Mr Miliband's suffering was exacerbated by a deviated septum, upon which the operation was performed.

A Labour spokeswoman said: "The hour-long operation was done with the National Health Service and was performed at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital in central London.

"He is now recovering for a few days before going on holiday with his family."

Sources close to the Labour leader have dismissed media speculation that he was hoping the operation would make his voice sound less nasal.

One source who spoke to him after the operation said he sounded "exactly the same".