MEDICAL staff have grown a sense of mischief to raise the profile of men's health.A group of eight staff from Ipswich Hospital's east theatres simultaneously grew moustaches throughout November.

MEDICAL staff have grown a sense of mischief to raise the profile of men's health.

A group of eight staff from Ipswich Hospital's east theatres simultaneously grew moustaches throughout November.

The theatre assistants, operating department practitioners and registered nurses all had a clean shave on the first day of the month and then let their moustaches grow and grow.

The fun was part of Movember - an international annual event to raise money and awareness about prostate cancer and men's health issues.

Colleague John King said: "The reason people are asked to grow moustaches is because the theme is 'changing the face' of men's health. Men don't always take note of their health as much as women do so it's to raise awareness.

“I kept meeting people who didn't expect me to have a moustache and they asked what it was all about - I told them and it's a good way of spreading the message."

The group - Michael Gleadell, John Summers, Thevy Vyapooree, John King, Jalal Arabi, Jim Clarke, Nigel Crane and Jason Sims - had a 'shave off' on the last day of November.

The group hope to have raised more than £400.

Have you taken on a wacky fundraising challenge? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.