A RETIRED engineer died just days after having an operation to remove his gall bladder, an inquest has heard.

Clifford Johnson, 81, of Spring Street, Rishton, was diagnosed with gallstones in September last year and had an operation in February this year to remove his gall bladder.

Just days later he was taken in for a second operation when it was discovered that there was a bile leak.

He then went into renal failure and developed widespread bronchial pneumonia, the Blackburn inquest was told.

He died on February 28.

The cause of death was multi-organ failure with pneumonia caused by the operation.

East Lancashire coroner Michael Singleton said Mr Johnson's death was due to a recognised complication of otherwise successful surgery.