A man fitted with the world's first artificial heart at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has died.

Peter Houghton, who was close to death in 2000, was given a new lease of life when surgeon Steve Westaby implanted the pioneering Jarvic 2000 in his failing heart.

But seven-and-a-half years after his life-saving operation, the 68-year-old, from Edgbaston, Birmingham, has died.

The former psychotherapist suffered suspected multiple organ dysfunction.

He spent the last two months in a nursing home as his health deteriorated.

The operation to implant the Jarvik pump cost £50,000, took 14 hours with 34 units of blood required to keep him alive.

Inventor Dr Robert Jarvik flew over from the US to attend the operation.

He was the world's longest-surviving artificial heath transplant patient had a black wire that ran through a hole behind his ear and connected to a battery pack.

Mr Houghton and his wife Diane had fostered 11 children. Mr Houghton wrote two books about his case - Death, Dying and Not Dying, in 2001 - and raised £1.5m for Heart Research UK.