A DAD died suddenly at a Wetherspoons pub after collapsing during a family meal.

Within half an hour of sitting down at the Reginald Mitchell in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Michael O'Sullivan's heart stopped beating.

Paramedics battled to save the 74-year-old, but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

His heartbroken relatives have since paid tribute to the popular publican, who had run a nearby boozer for 14 years.

Widow Pauline, 74, said: "I'm still in shock. It was devastating and just so unexpected.

"He was the centre of the family, a lovely family man.

"I’m going to miss his company and banter. I’m sitting on my own now when we're usually talking.

"I’m feeling very sad. It’s so unreal. I keep thinking he is going to be here."

Pauline said she and Michael had been enjoying a family dinner on January 14 when his heart "just stopped".

"That was it," she said. "We hadn't had much to drink."

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Their son tried to revive him with the help of two nurses in the pub at the time before the ambulance crew arrived, but he could not be saved.

The pensioner, who had been with Michael for 58 years, now faces retirement alone.

Pauline, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in May last year, said: "When Covid struck I’d got my illnesses and he helped me through it all.

"They said I hadn’t got long at first and now they say the chemo has slowed it down a bit.

"We had some time to think about doing more and going on holidays.

"Michael has been tremendous in helping me. He has been helping me to get on with it.

"He was the one who told me to have chemotherapy because I didn’t want to. It convinced me that I should and it helped.

"I’m devastated because we’ve got good news and he is not here to share it with me."

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