A FORMER corporal joined fellow veterans at the Remembrance Day parade in London sporting his blue beard in a bid to raise awareness about cancer.

Army veteran Dez Gawne has fought to raise awareness about testicular cancer since winning his own battle against the disease.

Last summer the dad-of-two underwent surgery to remove his right testicle after he was diagnosed with cancer with medics confident they had caught it in time.

The 48-year-old, who lives on Walney, served in the Motor Transport Platoon and finished his army career in the King’s Division Recruitment Team. He now works for Stagecoach as a bus driver in Barrow.

“After I had the operation I decided to grow my beard and dye it blue,” he said.

Then when I got people’s attention, and they’d ask why, I could tell them my story and show them it’s nothing to hide or be ashamed of.”

This July Mr Gawne walked 130 miles from Whitby to Walney in July over three days to raise money for Testicular Cancer Awareness by trekking - blue beard proudly on display - along the rural roads across the country.

And on Sunday he travelled to London to take part in the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in a bid to continue his fundraising.

"Coming from a military family, with my dad having served in the Royal Marines for 14 years and my mum having served as a Wren, Remembrance is so important to me," he said.

"No matter how much time has passed it's vital that we continue to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country and I have lost many friends who died doing just that.

"There are too many veterans who are dying because they aren't getting the support they need so Remembrance isn't just about those who have lost their lives; it's about supporting those in need of help."

The former on-call firefighter’s JustGiving page has raised more than £1,000 and he is planning further fundraisers including a 127-mile Leeds to Liverpool walk along the region’s canals.