A Devon father who suffered from kidney disease for 10 years successfully received a replacement organ from his 20-year-old son in a two-hour operation.

Former train driver Keith Forbes and his son Richard were both recovering in beds side-by-side, mother and wife Jane Forbes said.

'As far as I know everything has gone well. It is early days but it is good news so far,' she said.

'I am exhausted but Richard has come round and has already asked for a KFC. It is marvellous what he has done. I am totally overwhelmed.'

She added that her husband's new kidney was working following the two-hour transplant operation at Bristol's Southmead Hospital.

'They have both been awake and talking and early indications are that everything is fine and the kidney is working,' Mrs Forbes said.

Mr Forbes had been unaware that son Richard, 18-year-old daughter Clare and wife Jane, 43, were all prepared to give a kidney to end his decade of dialysis.

Call centre operator Richard was selected by doctors as the most appropriate donor for his 47-year-old father.

Mr Forbes, from Weirfield Road, Exeter, had carried a pager for 10 years to alert him when a kidney donor was found but it never went off.

Over the past 10 years Mr Forbes has had to undergo three dialysis sessions of nearly five hours each week. He is now looking forward to living a normal life again.

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