AN accountant is hanging up his calculator after more than three-and-a-half decades at his practice.

Robert Clubb opened his firm in Manningtree High Street in 1977 but has decided to slow down his work five years after being struck down with bowel cancer.

Since then Mr Clubb has tirelessly campaigned to raise awareness of the disease and help people spot early symptoms.

“Fighting cancer changed everything and I realised from my own experience there is not enough awareness despite the fact it is the second biggest cancer killer because of late diagnosis,” he said.

“I wanted to change that statistic and have given presentations to the workforce at nuclear power plants, a large insurance company and a series of talks to construction workers at the Olympic Village in Stratford.

“I’ve also travelled around wearing novelty underpants over my trousers and tried to engage with as many people as possible to spread the message about the early signs of bowel cancer.

“I am so passionate about it and want to do more.”