A cancer patient says he has been given a new lease of life after taking part in a breakthrough drugs trial.

John Timberlake, of Burdon Lane in Belmont, was diagnosed with prostate cancer six-and-a-half years ago at age 76 and was told he may not make it to 80-years-old.

Now he is almost 83 and the spread of his cancer has been stopped after he took part in a drugs trial with the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital.

Mr Timberlake, who was the Centre Court umpire at Wimbledon when Virginia Wade won the title in 1977, paid tribute to staff at the Royal Marsden for their work and said he feels lucky to have the Belmont-based hospital on his doorstep.

Following the trail, the drug enzalutamide has been licensed for treatment in the UK meaning other men will benefit from its effects.

Grandfather-of-five Mr Timberlake said: "After I was diagnosed I started going to the Butterfly Clinic at Epsom Hospital for four-and-a-half years. I was put on various drugs but my progress plateaued and they said there were several options, one of which was to take part in this drug trial at the Marsden."

Half the group took the drug while the other half took a placebo. Mr Timberlake, who worked as a partner with accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Cooper, added: "I've been on it for around two years but I suppose after about a year it became obvious I was getting the real thing and I was one of the lucky 50 per cent.

"For me, it's completely arrested the spreading of the disease. I had been given to understand I'd be lucky to make it to 80. Now I'm 82 and I'll be 83 soon.

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John Timberlake with his wife Sylvia

"I feel great. You wouldn't know there was a single thing wrong with me. My lifestyle is good, I feel very positive.

"The Marsden has been incredible. Professor [Johann] De Bono [consultant medical oncologist at The Royal Marsden]is one of the top honchos and he has a great team around him. They're just a bloody nice crowd to work with. I positively enjoy going there."

Enzalutamide, marketed as Xtandi, is available through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

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