A butcher says he owes his life to a pig — after he had open heart surgery to implant a valve from the animal.

Greg Hull, who has won awards for his pork pies and sausages, said: “The doctors gave me a choice of whether I wanted a tissue valve or an artificial valve. I opted for the pig valve because, as a butcher, I’ve spent my life working with pigs so I thought it was only right that a pig should help me get better.”

Mr Hull, who owns Fraser’s butcher shop in Great Lever, underwent a five and-a-half hour transplant operation after developing serious aortic valve disease.

Now fit and well — and back at work at his shop in Rishton Lane — Mr Hull said: “When the doctor listened to my heart, he immediately referred me to a chest pain clinic in Oldham where I had an angiogram which revealed the disease.

“I had the five-hour operation at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Hospital, where I stayed for seven days, with three in intensive care, before being sent home to recuperate.”

The father of two said: “It was the biggest and most life- changing shock I have ever had. I am glad to be alive.

“Heart surgery is amazing and the care that I have received from the NHS was fantastic.”

The only medication Mr Hull takes now is statin and soluble aspirin.

He said “I have always been healthy and have never smoked — so it was a big shock when I was told about it.”

Mr Hull and wife Jeanette had just arrived in Portugal for a holiday last year when he first realised he might have a problem.

He said: “I felt a bit off colour and suddenly I was sick but I recovered and was fine for the rest of the holiday.”

But when the same thing happened when he was back at home in Holcombe Brook, he called his doctor. Mr Hull, who has just celebrated his 50th birthday, said: “The doctor listened to my chest and immediately knew something was wrong.”

While Mr Hull was off work for nine weeks, the shop was looked after by his staff. He received hundreds of cards from his customers, wishing him a good recovery.

The valve transplant was pioneered in the 1960s. Now, more than 200,000 such operations are carried out each year across the world.