THE county’s firefighters will be helping raise the alarm about mouth cancer at a free screening session on Wednesday.

Mouth cancer is one of the UK’s fastest growing cancers with November being designated Mouth Cancer Action Month.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters in Kidlington will be throwing open its doors between 9.30am and 4pm with all residents urged to get their mouths checked out.

The screenings by the county’s Oral Health Improvement team, Community Dental Services, are particularly aimed at those working shift patterns who might find squeezing in a trip to the dentist difficult.

Chances of surviving mouth cancer are greatly improved if the cancers are detected early and treated rapidly.

Oral health improvement manager for Community Dental Services Charlotte Iddon, said: “Providing mobile screenings allows valuable members of the community, who may usually miss out on dental trips due to shift work or unsociable working hours, a chance to get seen."

The free screenings will be available at the fire service headquarters in Sterling Road between 9.30am and 4pm. No appointment necessary.