The Know Your Blood Pressure campaign brought the public together over the weekend.

Organised by the Dartmouth Rotary club and held at the Flavel Church in Dartmouth, the event was part of a national Stroke Association sponsored initiative.

On estimate, there are seven million people across the UK with undiagnosed high blood pressure, which is a contributing factor in around half of all strokes.

A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain.

However, many people are unaware whether they have high blood pressure or that it could significantly increase their risk of having a stroke.

The campaign is helping people to understand the link between high blood pressure and strokes and what can be done to reduce the risk of having a stroke.

The Rotary club in Dartmouth organised the administration and provided the manpower, with members on the street to explain what was happening and to encourage the public to participate.

Dartmouth Caring provided professional expertise to undertake blood pressure monitoring and loaned some of the equipment they used for the event.

Manager at Dartmouth Caring and rotarian, Nick Hindmarsh who organised the event said that despite the town being surprisingly quiet, it has been a great success.

The event had provided a great opportunity to highlight the importance of knowing your blood pressure and how problems can affect people of all ages, explained Nick.

Michael Freeman, President of the Rotary said: “We are particularly grateful to Dartmouth Caring for their help and assistance during the day.”

The drop in session was used by 46 people, of which 15 were recommended to seek a medical referral within one month, based on the Stroke Association guidelines.