A local opticians is urging over 50s to get hearing checks.

Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care in The Sovereign Shopping Centre made the call after research showed many people think their partner is 'tone deaf' when asked to do household tasks.

Men were found to be three times more 'tone deaf' than women.

The optician suggests this could be a sign of hearing loss rather than laziness or ignorance.

Half of those surveyed admitted their partner often watches TV or listens to the radio at a high volume, and a third suspected their partner had hearing difficulties.

Almost 50 per cent were unaware of the link between untreated hearing loss and increased dementia risk.

(Image: Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care) Connor Walker, branch manager at Scrivens, said: "We can all enjoy a joke about being ‘tone deaf’ and whether men are more likely to display it than women, but it’s no laughing matter if it is a sign of hearing loss.

"The changes in our hearing are often so subtle and happen over time, that it can be very hard for us to notice the impact it’s having on our lives and those around us."

Scrivens is offering free hearing screenings at local branches and has set an online Hearing Check Challenge to support Hearing Awareness Month.

For more information, visit www.scrivens.com