A VETERAN York councillor is preparing to fight in May's local elections - shortly after a nightmare spell of illness in which doctors said he was less than seven minutes from death.

Coun Derek Smallwood, City of York Council's executive member for environment, was given the chilling message after emergency treatment at Castle Hill Hospital, in Hull.

But two days ago he was back in business, presenting awards to the winners of a council-run competition encouraging York residents to recycle their Christmas trees.

Derek, who discovered he had angina in 1991, saw his nightmare begin in July last year when he felt unwell and visited his GP.

He said: "He told me I needed an angiogram. The specialist at York Hospital told me I was too ill to go home and put me on the emergency waiting list, which is six months long. He told me I wouldn't have lasted that long, and eventually I had a heart bypass after about five weeks, when they found a gap."

The operation went well and Derek, 62, returned to his Tang Hall home six days later, but disaster soon struck.

He said: "I was having a shower and started to gasp for breath. It turned out my ribcage, weakened during the bypass, had broken, punctured a lung and scratched my heart."

Derek, a councillor for 18 years, briefly attended York Hospital before being rushed to Castle Hill. He then had an operation to "put everything back together" and underwent a skin graft to repair his chest. He suffered a great deal of blood loss afterwards, but Derek said he never felt fear during his ordeal, and instead concentrated on his recovery.

"I am not someone who panics. It hit me afterwards, especially when I was told I was a few minutes from death, but I am concentrating on the future now. I am here, with my partner, I am doing well and am looking forward to this election."

Council leader Coun Dave Merrett said: "We are extremely pleased Derek is back. We have missed his contribution and boundless energy during what was a very distressing time for him and his family."

Derek will hold his first surgery since his comeback on tomorrow, in Tang Hall Community Centre, York between 10am and 11am.

Updated: 08:39 Friday, March 14, 2003