Men urged to have a health check at their local

Male drinkers are being encouraged to have a health check while at their local pub, as part of a new scheme to cut alcohol abuse.

Four pubs across Merseyside are taking part in the initiative, which involves nurses visiting the venues to check for health indicators such as cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.

Posters for the 'Wind Down' campaign, set up by local health bodies, are also appearing in the pubs, with the message: "Drink a little less, see a better you".

It asks them to "Wind Down" and think about swapping an alcoholic drink at the end of the night for lower alcohol or soft drinks.

And if the project is successful it could be rolled out to other areas.

Debbie Slide, licensee at the Stanley Arms, in Huyton-with-Roby, said the initiative had received a positive response, which she was surprised about.

"A lot of the older fellas have taken up the offer because they don't want to bother the doctor," she said. "The nurses just set up in the pool room - no-one is hassling them to do it. It's early days, but it's going ok."

Drinkers are also being urged to think about having a soft drink at the end of the night too, which means they get a voucher to see the doctor.

Tracey Lambert, social marketing programme manager for ChaMPs Public Health Network, which helped launch the campaign, said: "Changing behaviour takes time and is difficult but by making these health checks available to even more men across Merseyside we can hopefully begin to make a real difference."