A GP is celebrating his birthday and the end of his brain tumour treatment with a socially-distanced 5km run in the garden.

Huw McCandless from Cheshire underwent surgery in January to remove a brain tumour, and has been receiving daily radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment for the last six weeks.

To mark his 33rd birthday on Wednesday, he will be running 5km in his garden, and is also setting his sights on going back to work on the front line against coronavirus.

Mr McCandless said: “Being positive is so important, trying not to dwell on the negatives, getting exercise can have a huge impact on wellbeing as can doing the things you love.

“For me that is cooking and going out for walks with my wife Laura and our dog Dexter.”

After a month off treatment, Mr McCandless hopes to be well enough to restart another course of high-dose chemotherapy lasting for six months.

He said: “As a brain tumour patient on chemotherapy, I am classed as high-risk should I contract Covid-19 and I really hope that everyone will continue to heed the quarantine rules and to stay at home so that people like me are at least able to get to hospital for the treatment they need.”

Having been through so much, Mr McCandless is working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to share his story.

After marking his birthday, Mr McCandless said he aims to run a half-marathon with his step-father Andrew Russell, and to get back to work.

“As a GP I am extremely frustrated that I am unable to help patients and am keen to explore ways I can do this,” he said.

“I have been employed by the NHS for eight years and it is very difficult that now, of all times, I am unable to use my training and experience to help in the fight against coronavirus.”

Matthew Price, head of community fundraising for Brain Tumour Research in the North, said: “We are very grateful to Huw sharing his story and I am sure people will be inspired by it. His positivity is remarkable particularly given the difficult times we all now face.

“Coronavirus represents an unprecedented threat to the charity sector. Investment in scientific research has never been more important: as the world is gripped in a global health crisis, we are looking to scientists to find a cure.”