More and more heterosexuals are being diagnosed with deadly syphilis which can lie dormant for up to 30 years and lead to lifelong problems.

Nationally there has been a 148 per cent increase in the number of people catching the dreaded sexually transmitted disease over the last 10 years. But there has been a particular spike in the South West in recent times, prompting public health officials to launch a campaign to try and halt the spread of the disease across the region. And today they have launched a campaign to halt the rise by targeting men in long-term heterosexual relationships who have started having sex with men.

Sexual health consultant Peter Greenhouse, spokesperson for the British Association for Sexual Health & HIV (BASHH), said the advice is specifically aimed at the south west. He said: "We know that historically, the majority of syphilis has affected men who have sex with men (MSM) but recently we are seeing a spill over into the heterosexual population.

“This is happening sporadically in the South West at present but we want to prevent the problem getting bigger. We want to reach out to men in long-term heterosexual relationships who’ve recently started having sexual contact with other men. Our sexual health clinics offer testing, advice and sympathetic support for men - and their partners - in this especially sensitive position.”

Last year there were 274 cases compared to 172 for 2016, an increase of 59 per cent in the South West. Read more via Gloucestershire Live