A NEW cancer treatment machine has been handed over to a hospital in memory of a popular Hook parish clerk.

The Checkmate machine was donated to the Wessex Radiotherapy Centre at the Royal South Hants Hospital by Valerie Deadman.

Her husband, Dave, received care at the unit before his death from prostate cancer last April.

Mr Deadman, from Bells Meadow Road, Hook, served as parish clerk for the local parish council for 33 years until his death at the age of 60.

"The machine was bought with money donated by his friends and family," said Mrs Deadman.

"We wanted to give something in Dave's memory to help prolong the lives of other cancer sufferers."

Dr Geoffrey Sharpe, a consultant clinical oncologist who cared for Mr Deadman, attended the handover ceremony at the Southampton hospital. He explained how the machine will help patients who are under-going radiotherapy.

"We use it to check the radiation output of our machines," he said. "It is a very reliable piece of kit, which will be used on a daily basis, prior to treatment of patients."

Dr Sharpe said that the machine given in Mr Deadman's memory would help an enormous number of cancer patients.

"It will be used to treat around 40 patients each day, five days a week," he said.