Morrissey collapses on stage

Morrissey is in hospital after collapsing on stage with breathing difficulties.

The singer was performing at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon last night when he slumped to his knees during a rendition of 'This Charming Man'.

Eyewitness Mark Taylor told The Sunday Telegraph: "The stage went dark and he was taken off the stage and then his band then all left the stage.

"There was a wait of about 25 minutes before one of the stage crew came on and said Morrissey had left the building and that he was seriously ill.

"Everyone started booing, thinking 'Here we go again'. He has a bit of a poor track record for cancelling his concerts."

Audience member Jillian Moody told the BBC that the crowd did not initially appreciate the seriousness of the situation.

She said: "It was interesting because a lot of people around us had bought tickets for Morrissey concerts earlier in the year. He has cancelled numerous concerts so they just thought that, you know, he had gone off but would be returning.

"I didn't think he looked particularly well but then again, he's well known as a reclusive character so I sort of thought that was just the way he was when he was on stage.

"He kept putting his hand up to his mouth as if he felt sick or... perhaps he was trying to hide something, but he didn't look particularly comfortable."

A spokeswoman for the Great Western Ambulance Service commented: "Just after 9pm we got a call to a 50-year-old man who was reported to be suffering from respiratory problems and was unconscious.

"We sent a paramedic in a double-crewed ambulance. When they arrived they found a conscious patient who was not feeling well at all. They made an initial assessment and took him to the Great Western Hospital for further assessment."