Status Quo rocker Rick Parfitt has been given the all-clear after a cancer scare.

The guitarist said being given a clean bill of health was "the best Christmas present I could possibly have."

Parfitt, a heavy smoker, had feared he had throat cancer after two lumps were found on his larynx.

He underwent surgery last Thursday (15.12.05) and doctors discovered the growths were benign. They have been removed and Parfitt is now recovering.

The 57-year-old star - who had a quadruple heart bypass operation in 1997 - has thanked fans for their support throughout his ordeal, which meant the band had to cancel their UK tour.

He said: "It has been an incredibly worrying time for me and I would like to thank all our fans who have sent me literally thousands of messages of support in spite of their disappointment in the tour being cancelled."

"This has been a major wake-up call for me and I promise our fans that, after a four-month break, we will more than make it up to them with some very exciting touring plans for the remainder of next year."

Status Quo's manager, Simon Porter, added: "Rick will now spend the holiday period recuperating."