SOMETIMES when people meet businessman and Malvern Hills District Councillor Tony Baker they think he is deaf.

It’s because they find it difficult to understand his speech and they associate this with people who have been deaf from an early age or birth, which has affected their speech development.

But the truth of the matter is that in 2011 Tony had his voice box removed following years of fighting cancer and now uses a prosthetic indwelling voice valve to help him communicate, as well as electronic speech devises on his mobile phone and tablet computer.

Tony, aged 63 and a director of Tulip contract cleaning and laundry company with his wife Melanie, is sure that smoking was the main cause of his throat cancer, even though the medical profession is cautious about blaming it.

“The doctors are very wary of saying outright that smoking caused the cancer but I feel the smoking was a major factor,” he said. “There is no history of cancer in my family and I have never worked in an environment to give me cancer.”

“I started smoking when I was 15. I joined the Royal Navy and it was something everyone did. I smoked about 20 a day until the day I was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. I smoked for about 30 years. “

Tony first thought something was wrong when he noticed a lump on his neck. “My doctor told me there was nothing wrong and I was just being vain wanting it removed.”

But after moving from Yorkshire back to Worcestershire where he grew up, he had the lump removed and on further examination it was found to be cancerous.

Tony explained it was an extremely eventful year. “I was diagnosed with cancer, we had just got married, we had moved here to be nearer my parents and my mum died.

“I had more surgery and radio therapy and was okay for a couple of years. Then it came back and I was given six months to live. It was a terrible shock to be told I only had six months to live.

“I found a surgeon in London who did radical surgery removing a section of the back of my throat and part of my tongue. He still looks after me today,” said Tony.

After another five years the cancer had returned and Tony underwent surgery to remove his voice box.

And while Tony has a very positive approach to life, the threat of the cancer returning is always hanging over him. He has check-ups every three months and the doctors regularly find pre-cancerous growths, which are dealt with using laser treatment.

“But there will come a time when they won’t be able to do that and we are well aware of that. They never guarantee it has gone in my case,” he said.

Tony, who was elected to represent Dyson Perrins ward on Malvern Hills District Council in May this year, said his condition has focused his mind on living every moment as well as he can.

He praised the language therapists at Worcestershire Royal Hospital who helped him to communicate without a voice box, while the electronic speech facilities on his tablet and mobile phone make life a lot easier for him.

“There are some frustrating moments. For some reason lots of people assume I am deaf. I canvassed for my votes before the election on the doorstep just like everyone else and I got a good response and reaction from people.”

Tony was encouraged to stand for election by his wife who was already a district councillor in Malvern representing the Chase Ward. “I am really loving being a district councillor and I have a ward surgery every four weeks when people can come and talk to me.”

Tony also paid tribute to his wife who gave up her successful career in marketing to help him when he was given just six months to live. She set up a small cleaning business which blossomed and the couple now employ 60 staff.

Tony said: “I cannot understand how she coped with it so well but I do know that if it wasn’t for her, I would have given up several times.”

The councillor is now on a mission to try and reduce the number of smokers in the Malvern Hills district.

He wants people to understand the possible health implications of what they are doing by being open about the affect smoking has had and is having on his life.

He also wants the council to join the growing number of local authorities signing up to the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control.

The declaration enables councils to access support from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Public Health England to encourage less smoking for health reasons and reducing the public costs of smoking.

ASH estimates there are 7,814 smokers in the Malvern Hills District and this costs the community £14.6 million a year due to a range of factors like lost productivity through smoking breaks, sick days and early deaths; smoking related diseases; passive smoking health impact on others; social care for smokers in later life and waste disposal costs for cigarette butts.

Tony says Malvern Hills District Council is now setting up a working party to look into the implications of signing up to the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control. “They are definitely taking it seriously.”

But given his own experiences Tony urges smokers to make the effort to stop. “My advice to anyone who smokes is to stop. I do not know how many people can afford it these days.”

• There are estimated to be 7,814 smokers in the Malvern Hills district

• Smoking costs the Malvern community a total of £14.6 million annually

• Smoking breaks are believed to cost businesses in the district £6.3 million a year

• Early deaths due to smoking cost the district around £3 million a year

• Smoking related illness costs the NHS in Malvern Hills district £2million a year

• Smoking related sick days cost Malvern Hills businesses £993,000 a year

• There are about two smoking related fires in the district each year costing £322,000 annually

• About 32 million filter cigarettes are smoked each year in the district creating 5 tonnes of waste