When Tony Jones was told he had cancer, his first thought was whether he would live to attend his Golden Wedding party.

But last month the 69-year-old great-grandfather celebrated the anniversary cancer-free and with a poignant gift for fellow sufferers.

Mr Jones, a retired forklift truck driver from Marsh Gibbon, near Bicester, said: “When I was told I had cancer last February I just froze. I could feel my wife June next to me, starting to shake, and all I could think was: ‘We’ve just booked a hall for our anniversary party – will I still be here then?’”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men, with 37,000 diagnosed in the UK each year. In Oxfordshire alone, 100 men die of it each year.

Mr Jones was diagnosed after a chance conversation with a friend.

He said: “We were playing golf and my friend was talking about having treatment for bladder problems. I realised I was urinating more than usual and decided to get it checked out with my GP.”

He then embarked on 37 sessions of radiotherapy and a two-year course of hormone treatment.

His wife June, 70, said: “It was a very worrying time for all the family, but Tony had a very positive attitude and insisted on driving himself for treatment before going on to golf.”

Mr Jones said: “While I was being treated I met another patient called Dave Beasley who was a member of Oxfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group (OPCSG). I was really impressed with their work.

“I was given the news my treatment had been a success just weeks before my granddaughter Carmen got married in October.

“Then in December, June and I celebrated 50 years of marriage with 110 friends and family. We asked people who came not to buy us presents, but to give a donation which we would give to OPCSG.”

The couple has presented the group with a cheque for £365.

Mr Jones said: “I have a brilliant doctor and because I acted quickly, things worked out well. Prostate cancer is a serious killer but I am one of the lucky ones.”

l For details about OPCSG, call 01235 763486, or email secopcsg@btinternet.com