A HEALTH campaigner has vowed to take his irreverent cancer awareness campaign to every vulnerable doorstep in the UK.

Retired Chorleywood teacher Bob Arthy admits he had little interest in his own or other men’s health until July, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In the weeks and months since undergoing life-saving surgery the former parish councillor has devoted most of his considerable energies to raising awareness about a disease many men prefer not to talk about.

In August, just days after feeling a surgeon’s knife, the keen amateur musician joined forces with rock star neighbour and New Seekers frontman Mick Flynn to write and record a song in which he detailed the many tell-tale symptoms of the condition and urged men to get checked, Doctor Please Don’t Send Me Away.

Since then he has not looked back.

His latest scheme – still in the early stages – would see a copy of his CD and an information pack sent to British men on their 50th birthday – an age when the risks posed by the disease increase greatly.

Bob, who is currently seeking financial and government support, explained that he wanted to give men (like him) who are vulnerable to the condition, a much needed “kick up the backside.”

He said: “Before this happened to me I thought nothing about prostate cancer. I had the symptoms and I put off going to the doctor time and again. I was lucky – others are not.

“It is a scandal that men are dying in their thousands of a disease they could get treated – if only they caught it early enough.

“It’s early days but we’re aiming to send one of these CDs to every man in the country on his 50th birthday – that’s the age you should start thinking about this.

“It’s an ambitious plan but why can’t we make it happen.

“Compared to having prostate cancer this is nothing.”

To learn more about Bob’s campaign or to offer your support you can contact him at bobarthy@hotmail.com.