"It could save your life."

Those are the words of a Hornsey man whose bowel cancer was caught early enough to be treated.

London is one of the the first regions to offer a FIT (faecal immunochemical test) kit to 58-year-olds to help catch more cancer cases early.

The campaign “Your next poo could save your life”, urges people who have been sent a free bowel cancer screening kit to use it.

Cancer was caught early for Simon Clarke, 67, from Hornsey, thanks to screening, and growths were removed from his bowel.

“I wasn’t particularly worried. I’ve always had the attitude it wouldn’t be me that gets ill," he said.

“But when they analysed the polyps, cancer was in one of them. They caught it as a very minor tumour and it hadn’t spread. Without the screening I wouldn’t have known it was there.

“I’d say to other people: use the bowel cancer screening kit when you’re sent it, because if it catches something early like it did with me, it could save your life.”

The FIT kit is done at home by collecting a stool sample with a stick, which is placed in a tube. A test on the sample can detect blood, which could be a sign of bowel cancer, even in people with no symptoms.

National figures show that around 2% of people who use the kit will require further testing.

London's director of public health, Professor Kevin Fenton, said: “Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers. Anyone can get it. In the UK, 43,000 people are diagnosed with it and over 16,500 people die from it each year – more than 45 a day.

“Screening, which you do in private at home, can help prevent bowel cancer or find it at an early stage when it’s easier to treat. Those who complete bowel cancer screening are 25% less likely to die of bowel cancer.”

The age of those eligible for home-testing will be lowered to 50. Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter and will be sent their test with full instructions and prepaid return packaging.