A WIDOWER has launched another round of mass screening sessions helping to save young people from a fatal heart condition which killed his wife.

Andy Reed is urging people to sign up for free heart health checks taking place on the weekend of October 4 and 5 in Eastleigh.

He has also secured a further screenings for the weekend of January 18 and 19 next year at the same venue in Fleming Park Leisure Centre, in Passfield Avenue.

The autumn event is the fourth set up since wife Claire collapsed and died while celebrating at hen party in Taunton, Somerset, in March last year.

A coroner ruled the 22-year-old, who had wed just five months previously, died of sudden adult death syndrome (SADS).

The condition – which often goes undetected – kills an estimated 12 people aged under 35 each week.

Since her death, Andy, 27, from Eastleigh, and his in-laws have organised screenings for 300 young people for the condition – some who have shown symptoms of the illness.

The new two-day screenings have spaces for 400 people aged 14-35 and are run in partnership with the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity which raises awareness of the condition.

The family is funding it with some of the £33,000 they has raised since her death.

The test involves experts taking an electrocardiogram (ECG) to record the heart’s electrical activity and identify any abnormality.

Andy, who lives in Sandmartin Close, said: “We really recommend that as many young people as possible sign up for the screenings.

“It’s now even more important because our previous ones have shown that there are people out there with it. Luckily they have been able to pick it up and get help.

“We made a promise to Claire that we are going to keep campaigning, fundraise and raise awareness.”

The family has joined CRY in campaigning for SADS testing to be available on the NHS.

Log on to testmyheart.org to book for the autumn screenings.

Bookings for the January event are expected to open in November.