THE widow of a man who died of a heart attack while playing football has been awarded hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation from Southend Hospital.

Edward Patten, 52, of High Street, Shoebury, suffered a fatal heart attack while playing football alongside his 15-year-old son, Ben, for amateur team Westcliff Football Club in March 2002.

Southend Hospital agreed to pay an undisclosed fee - believed to be hundreds of thousands of pounds - to his widow Chris, 55, in an out-of-court settlement.

The hospital accepted its medical team failed to diagnose the full nature of Mr Patten's heart condition and that he was not given treatment that could have saved his life.

Published Friday, December 9, 2005