Ray Wheatland says he has given up on life after being told his heart operation must be delayed because of health spending restrictions.

Mr Wheatland, 50, fears he could die before he gets the angioplasty he needs.

He has been told the operation will be delayed for a further two months, on top of the usual three to four month wait - leaving his family in despair.

Mr Wheatland is one of about 40 patients to receive letters from three top heart surgeons in York this week, informing them that a lack of funds has meant they must wait for operations.

His wife Carol said: "This was his last hope. He needs this angioplasty desperately and was told so in November.

"But this further delay has made him depressed.

"He thinks he will die before the operation and is talking about me being okay because our children will look after me when he is gone.

"This is very distressing for us all and we feel badly let down by the NHS."

The Northern Echo launched its Chance To Live Campaign following the death of Darlington father Ian Weir.

Mr Weir, the paper's award-winning deputy chief photographer, died after waiting months for a bypass operation the day before he was due to see a consultant.

As a result of the tragedy the Government has pumped millions extra into heart disease treatment.

Mr Wheatland, of Tang Hall, York, has had heart disease for 16 years and had another massive heart attack on Bonfire Night last year.

Dr Maurice Pye, Dr John Ceook and Dr Simon Megarry, of York Health Services NHS Trust, have written to their patients informing them of the wait.

They blame North Yorkshire Health Authority for funding shortfalls.

John Grimes, the authority's financial director, said it had been forced to fund a third more operations than expected.

He said: "The decision about whether or not a patient undergoes an angioplasty is entirely a decision for the doctors.

"If they decide that somebody needs a procedure over the corse of the next two months then they will get a procedure."