Grieving pensioner Mary Pinkney has vowed to discover the truth behind her cancer husband's sudden death in hospital.

She fears doctors might have failed to pick up on a heart condition that led to him having a massive heart attack after a major bowel cancer operation.

Arthur Pinkney, 73, of Ilkley, a retired Yorkshire Water inspector, died earlier this month at Leeds General Infirmary.

His operation had already been cancelled once at the last moment because of an irregular heart beat.

But now his 82-year-old widow wants to find out why a heart condition revealed in a post-mortem examination did not show up in tests or in a scan before the operation to remove a tumour and perform a colostomy was finally allowed to go ahead.

She said: "I owe it to him to find out if there was anything those tests and the scan showed up that wasn't picked up on. If something was there and they knew about it, he should have been told so he at least had the choice whether to go ahead with the surgery or not.

"Then he could have made a decision about the cancer and his heart, he would have had the right to do that. I need that question answered so I can have peace of mind and he can rest in peace."

Mrs Pinkney, of Abbeyfield Court, said that six weeks ago her husband was turned away from the operating theatre at the LGI after pre-op staff discovered an irregular heart beat. She said her husband was allowed home and referred to a cardiologist at LGI who monitored his condition and finally gave the go-ahead for a second attempt.

The day before surgery he underwent a heart scan and was reassured everything was fine, said Mrs Pinkney, who had been married to Arthur - her third husband - for 38 years.

The operation was scheduled to take about ten hours but took less than seven, said Mrs Pinkney, but the family were called after her husband suffered a massive heart attack in the recovery room.

She said: "The consultant came to see us and said the operation itself had gone well, they'd all been very happy with it but he took badly in recovery and died from a massive heart attack."

Her husband had been diagnosed with bowel cancer 18 months ago and had surgery at Airedale Hospital in Steeton but a tumour grew and he was referred to Leeds General Infirmary.

An inquest into Mr Pinkney's death has been opened and adjourned.

A spokesman for Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust, which runs LGI, said: "We are currently co-operating with the coroner's office but would not comment further until the inquest is complete."

A funeral will be held at Christ Church, Ilkley, on Friday, July 31, at 10.30am. He leaves a daughter Sharon, son Arthur and six grandchildren.

e-mail: kathie.griffiths@bradford.newsquest.co.uk