Several people who went along for a routine health check were told to seek urgent medical help.

Volunteer ambulance crew members joined forces with members of the Rotary Club of South Foreland to offer free blood pressure tests to people outside the Tesco store at Whitfield, thanks to the store manager.

During a five-hour period scores of people had the checks, with some being advised to contact their doctors for further checks, and a number being advised to seek immediate medical attention because of exceedingly high blood presssure.

The South Foreland Rotary Club with the staff from South East Coast Ambulance NHS FoundationTrust SECAmb, has run the checks as part of Stroke Awareness Day to encourage people to take appropriate action so that the causes of high blood pressure can be investigated, blood pressure reduced to prevent a stroke from becoming a reality.

It is estimated that 150,000 people in the United Kingdom suffer a stroke each year and this is the third most common cause of death, after cardiac and trauma cases, and a leading cause of adult disability. Pre-hospital emergency care can make a significant difference to how patients survive strokes.

Thanking the ambulance crew members for their support club President Peter Sherred said: "Blood pressure tests will not kill but a stroke may.”

Ambulance crew members who took part were Dave Tumber, Timandra French, Natalie Clarke, Jane Brown and John McCafferty.