A HEART-ATTACK victim has won a David and Goliath battle with one of the country's biggest insurance companies.

Dean Turrell has been awarded an £88,815 payout from Norwich Union.

The Westhoughton man, has fought the insurance giants for more than two years over a claim made after he suffered a heart attack in September 2004.

Mr Turrell, a 42-year-old salesman, was forced to give-up work following his illness. But he was denied a payout from his insurers.

They claimed that he had failed to disclose an eye condition when he took out life insurance and critical illness cover for himself and his wife, Vicky, in 2003.

He has now received a cheque from the firm -including £11,000 accrued in interest - following a ruling by parliamentary watchdog, the Financial Ombudsman.

Mr Turrell, of Manley Crescent, Westhoughton, said: "I felt I'd been wrongly done to and I've been proved right. I wanted the little man to win this battle.

"At so many points people told me to walk away from it, but I've had the backing of medical and legal professionals and I wanted to win back what was owed to me and my wife."

Mr Turrell was admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack during a business meeting.

He received a £34,500 payment from another policy within a month of taking-ill. But Norwich Union bosses said they would not pay-up on his £35-a-month policy with them because he had failed to declare an eye condition - ocular hypertension - when he took it out. However, the condition was not listed on the company's underwriting and medical professionals submitted evidence that it had no link to Mr Turrell's heart attack, which was caused by high cholesterol.

Mr Turrell pursued his claim through the Ombudsman. It was initially thrown out but, following countless appeals, he received the full £77,000 value of his policy, plus interest.

He said: "It's been a hard slog, and it's taken its toll on me emotionally but it was worth holding out for."

A spokesman for Norwich Union said: "We are sorry for the inconvenience Mr Turrell has suffered over the last few years.

"The role of the Financial Ombudsman is to adjudicate on cases such as this and Norwich Union will always be bound by its decisions. We have now paid Mr Turrell's claim in full and paid interest for the delayed period."