Actor Tomlinson has heart surgery

Tomlinson is currently fronting a heart awareness campaign

Comic actor Ricky Tomlinson is recovering in hospital after a major heart operation.

The 68-year-old Liverpudlian underwent a quadruple heart bypass on Friday at Liverpool's Cardiothoracic Centre.

Consultant cardiac surgeon Aung Oo said: "The operation went according to plan and he is now recovering within the hospital's critical care unit."

The family of the Royle Family star have thanked wellwishers for several get well cards he received.

For the next 48 hours they requested privacy so Mr Tomlinson could concentrate on recovering from the operation.

Before the procedure, the actor had launched an awareness campaign to encourage men to check the health of their hearts, to try to avoid the need for surgery.