RICHARD Burge is living, walking proof that it's no good being a man about going to the doctors.

He admits he was acting "typically male" when he was faced with a series of unusual symptoms, as he tried to ignore them and refused to see a doctor.

But luckily for him his wife made him an appointment and a few weeks later he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

"I suppose when I started getting symptoms I just buried my head in the sand," said Richard, a chief inspector at Gloucestershire police.

"I was a typical example of a male who doesn't like going to the doctors."

But Tracy, a police community support officer in Dursley, wasn't going to let him off that easily.

"I kept telling him to go to the doctors, but he wouldn't, so eventually I booked him an appointment and told him about it on the day.

"He wasn't very happy about it, but I am so glad I did it now. We only just caught it in time."

Over a year later and Richard has fully recovered from his treatment for bowel cancer and last week he walked 104 miles of the Cotswold Way to raise money for the Colorectal Unit at Cheltenham General Hospital, where he was treated.

"The first reason for doing the walk was to say thank you to the unit that cared for me and to raise money for it," said Richard, 43, from Stroud.

"But I also wanted to do the walk for myself - I wanted to prove I could do it.

"Walking was the way I got my fitness back when I was recovering. At first I could only do five minutes, but I gradually built up."

Richard, a father-of-two, returned to work at police head quarters in February this year and said he is glad to be back up and about working.

He is hoping the walk will raise awareness of bowel cancer, the second biggest cancer killer.

"I was told I had bowel cancer at the age of 42 but didn't think I was old enough. I know now that people can get it at any age and that you should get it checked out immediately because early diagnosis is essential," added Richard.

To donate to Richard's fundraising appeal visit his website, www.richburge.co.uk, where you can also read his blog.