BY: Chris Court, PA News
Comedian Rik Mayall was today moved to a London hospital to complete his recovery from head injuries suffered in a quad bike crash. The 39-year-old actor's agent, Aude Powell, said today everything was "going well", but he was moved from Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, to a hospital in the capital because his children had to return to school. "The swelling in the brain needs to go down," she said. "The absolutely crucial and essential thing is peace and quiet in this recovery period."
The comedian was flown unconscious to the neurological unit at Derriford after the accident on his country retreat, Pasture Farm, East Allington, Devon, on April 10. Last week his wife Barbara said she knew her husband was on the mend when he asked her: "Why are those bastards always sticking needles into me?"
It is understood that Mayall was hurt when the quad bike toppled on top of him as he rode across a steeply sloping field. Mrs Mayall came out to see why the engine had stopped, and discovered him trapped underneath and unconscious. The comedian bought the country estate last year as a retreat for his wife and three children Rosie, 11, Sidney, nine, and Bonnie, two. Comic Strip partners Peter Richardson and Adrian Edmondson, and comedian and author Ben Elton, also visited him in Derriford hospital.