BRIERLEY Hill councillor Margaret Wilson is recovering at home after suffering a heart attack in the run-up to last week’s election.

The popular Labour councillor, a former Mayor of Dudley, fell ill just hours before polling day and was rushed to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton where she remained until Sunday night (May 8).

The scare left many of cllr Wilson’s council colleagues from all parties concerned about her welfare, casting a shadow over last Thursday’s election which saw Labour’s Rachel Harris, Karen Jordan and Qadar Zada hang onto seats in Brierley Hill, Brockmoor and Pensnett and Netherton, Woodside and St Andrews.

But gutsy great-grandmother Margaret told the News this week she’s “recovering” and hopes to be back in the council chamber in a few weeks time.

The 79-year-old, who was Mayor from 2002 to 2003, said the stress of travelling to a Moseley rehabilitation centre to see her daughter Rona, who suffered an aneurysm five months ago, had no doubt played a part in her illness.

She said: “My daughter’s been very ill, I’ve been trying to get backwards and forwards; it takes its toll - it’s one of those things. But I’m here to tell the tale.”

Margaret, a councillor for nearly 20 years, praised the care she received in hospital and thanked colleagues and friends for their good wishes - saying: “I’ve had some lovely messages from people.”

Meanwhile fellow ward councillor Rachel Harris dedicated her election vistory to Margaret, wishing her a speedy recovery and calling her an “essential part of the Labour team”.

Brockmoor and Pensnett Labour councillor Judy Foster added: “Margaret is a very hard-working, dedicated councillor with an enormous amount of local support. We hope she’s back at work soon.”

While Conservative councillor Geoff Southall, a long-time friend of cllr Wilson, said he was “quite upset” to hear about her sudden illness.

Margaret said daughter Rona, a 57-year-old mum-of-four, worked as a busy Avon representative before falling ill.

She was placed on a life-support machine at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital before being transferred for rehabilitation at Moseley Hall Hospital, Birmingham, where she is now said to be making progress.

Cllr Wilson said: “She’s getting there but it’s a slow process.”