A VITAL new support team has been officially launched in the battle to beat prostate cancer.

The Kidderminster & District Prostate Cancer Support Group was unveiled at Kidderminster Hospital on Monday.

The group, which now has a committee and about 60 members since forming last month, will be campaigning for national screening to become law for men aged 40 and above.

It also plans to organise regular fund-raising activities to raise money for sufferers and their families.

Committee member John Poole said: "There are 19,000 new cases of prostate cancer a year and 10,000 men die of it annually.

"When you compare this to the publicity given to AIDS, which kills about 500 a year, it shows what a killer the disease can be and how men must have checks to discover if they have the problem and get it cured before it is too late."

Kidderminster mayor Nigel Knowles, consultant surgeon David Baxter-Smith, urology nurse Mary Symons and two national officers were among those to attend the group's first meeting at the hospital's Postgraduate Centre.

On Saturday the group is staging a fund-raising car boot sale on the hospital car park and it is also holding a golf day at Upper Sapey Golf Club on August 28.

For further details about joining the group call the hospital on 01562 823424.