MORE than 500 people across Gloucestershire phoned Macmillan Cancer Support over the course of last year.

New figures from the charity show how many people contacted the Macmillan Support Line during the past 12 months.

Of these 513 callers, 74 per cent were requests for clinical information and emotional support while the remaining 26 per cent was for welfare or financial guidance queries.

The Macmillan Support Line is for anyone with questions about cancer. It is free to call and staffed by experts who can help with a range of queries - from advice and support with money worries, clinical and treatment information, to being there to listen if a caller just wants to talk.

The Macmillan Support Line answered 148,792 calls in 2014 from across the UK, and is funded thanks to donations to the charity.

These figures have been released to coincide with Cancer Talk Week – which runs from January 26 to 30 - Macmillan’s annual awareness-raising week.

This year, Macmillan is calling on the public to pledge support online for the charity’s Time to Choose campaign and make sure improving cancer care is a priority for the next government at this year’s general election.

The Macmillan Support Line is available Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm, on 0808 808 00 00.

For more information on Time to Choose visit timetochoose.org.uk.