Young people in Colchester have been urged to make use of a screening clinic to  check if they have any hidden heart conditions.

The first heart screening clinic of the year for teenagers and young adults in the town was held at the weekend. 

The clinics have been held at Colchester General Hospital since 2004 and are run by the national charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) with the permission of Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust. 

They are for people aged 14 to 35 and aim to check for conditions which, if undetected, can cause Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in apparently fit and active young people. 

Caroline Gard, CRY's divisional representative for the East of England, said the sudden death of Motherwell footballer Phil O'Donnell from a heart condition  at the end of last year 'really brought home' the issue. 

Mrs Gard, from Frinton-On-Sea, said: "Sadly, what people may not realise is that this truly is not a one-off. 

"We know that at least eight deaths such as this happen every week in this country and yet so few people are even aware that they can occur. 

"It works out at more than 400 deaths of young people every year, many of which could be prevented by having the appropriate test to discover one of the conditions which can cause this." 

She said the clinic at Colchester General Hospital was an ideal opportunity for a test and people had pre-booked a place from as far away as the West Country and West Midlands. 

Mrs Gard, whose son, Andy, died of a heart condition two days before his 18th birthday in 1997, said many young people at risk were still not being referred for tests and were often dismissed as being "too young" to have heart problems. 

CRY continually campaigns for all children at the age of 14 to have an electrocardiogram (ECG) test - a simple way to diagnose most cardiac abnormalities. 

For the hugely subsidised cost of £35, each teenager or young adult attending Saturday's clinic had a 10 minute ECG. 

The process involves taping electrical leads from a machine to the chest, legs and arms, and making a record of the heart's activity.  It is a pain-free procedure and the ECG and questionnaires filled in by those taking part are sent to cardiologists in London who have expertise in SDS. 

Cases of SDS can be triggered by physical exertion, particularly in those who play high-level sport, and some may experience palpitations, fainting or breathlessness, while others show no symptoms at all. 

Anyone wanting to know more about the service can visit www.c-r-y.org.uk or call 01737 363222.