MEN are being urged to get a checkup for prostate cancer at a drop-in session tomorrow.

The event will be held by the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service and the County Durham Primary Care Trust at the Healthworks centre, Paradise Lane, Easington Colliery, between 11.30am and 1pm.

The free check will also include blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars, weight and body mass index.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men and kills 10,000 men in Britain a year.

Men can get it from the age of 40, but most are over 50. It is called the silent killer, because not all men get symptoms and not all men get the same symptoms.

Karl Hansen, the trust's nurse specialist for male health, said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service to take awareness of prostate cancer to a much-needed higher level.

"All men need to know about prostate cancer and take a greater interest in their general health. Raising awareness is crucial if we are to effectively tackle the disease.

"Early detection and diagnosis can improve a man's chances of being successfully treated for prostate cancer, raising awareness of the disease and break down the taboos surrounding the disease."