WHAT are the words you would most miss if you lost your hearing?

Not surprisingly over a quarter of Sotonians said hearing ‘I love you’ and their child’s first utterings were the moments they’d be gutted to miss.

Now a national company has teamed up with Southampton University’s Auditory Implant Service as part of a drive to promote hearing awareness.

The roadshow, called Life on Mute came to Southampton’s Guildhall Square to offer free hearing screenings and consultations with an audiologist.

Dr Carl Verschuur, Director of the Auditory Implant Service, said: “On average it takes ten years for people to address their hearing loss.

“This campaign is about addressing your hearing issues early by visiting your GP or a specialist and maintaining regular check-ups.

"We wanted to get involved because the thought of losing your hearing can obviously be worrying but there’s a lot that people can do about it.”

It is estimated that there are more than 11 million people currently living with hearing loss in the UK – one in six.

According to hearing charity, Action on Hearing Loss, by 2035 this is expected to rise to one in five of the population.

Currently it takes on average a decade for people to address their hearing loss, meaning that many people may not be diagnosed for what is a treatable condition.