Benn gets pacemaker after fall

Mr Benn's condition is not thought to be life threatening

Former Labour MP Tony Benn has been fitted with a pacemaker after falling and hitting his head at the party's annual conference in Brighton.

Mr Benn, 80, was treated by paramedics at the Brighton Centre on Tuesday before being taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

He had the pacemaker fitted in a two-hour operation on Friday and is now back at home in London.

"The battery lasts 10 years so I think it will see me out," he said.

Mr Benn said the operation took place under local anaesthetic.

He added: "They thought it was the right thing to do to keep up with my appointments. A little bit of help with an electrical battery is good."

Before his fall, Mr Benn had been due to speak on Tuesday evening at a conference fringe meeting entitled "Does democracy need a makeover?"

The former politician stepped down from Westminster in 2001.

He is the father of International Development Secretary Hilary Benn.