A Conservative AM who has been diagnosed with cancer is warning people not to ignore vital warning signs and visit the doctor immediately.

Glyn Davies, the Tory representative for Mid and West Wales, is suffering from rectal cancer and will have to undergo a major operation this week.

But for months he had ignored the signs from his body that something was wrong and said he could not bring himself to visit his GP.

Mr Davies faces a major operation for cancer

Now he is urging others to heed the warning signals and to seek medical help as soon as they suspect there is something wrong.

Mr Davies is probably one of the luckier ones, as it is likely that his own cancer has not spread.

He hopes that by drawing attention to his ill health, he can persuade other people to address their own health problems.

He told BBC Wales: "Take the messages that your body tells you, because your body tells you when there's something wrong.

"Don't just ignore it as I did - don't just be in denial as I was.

"Go to your doctor and talk about it."

On the surface, Mr Davies, 58, appears to be a very healthy person and he himself has said he has never been fitter.

Santa Run

He is a farmer as well as a politician and runs for 45 minutes every day.

He recently took part in the second annual Santa Run in Newtown, where he soundly beat fellow politician Lembit Opik MP over the four-mile route.

Mr Davies, who is married with four children, chairs the Welsh Assembly's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

Before entering the assembly, he was a former chair of Montgomeryshire District Council and also served on the Welsh Development Agency and the Wales Tourist Board.

His assembly biography describes him as being interested in all sports and countryside activities.