DIDCOT town councillor and former mayor Nick Hards has sent a message to well-wishers from his hospital bed in Sheffield.

Mr Hards underwent emergency surgery after suffering a brain haemorrhage earlier this month. He was lecturing at a college near Lincoln when he collapsed.

But his condition improved this week and Mr Hards sent the following words from his hospital bed: "Life is full of surprises, not all pleasant, but things are looking up and I hope to see some of you in the next two to three weeks."

Didcot Town Council leader, and family friend, Margaret Davies, said: "Nick has been reading the kind messages sent to him. He still has a long way to go to get up to full speed and has some thumping headaches."