People are being urged to get tested for HIV after it was found that Waltham Forest has over twice the national average of sufferers of the virus.

Barts Health and Waltham Forest council have joined forces to mark European HIV-Hepatitis Testing Week, offering a free and confidential health screening in Walthamstow town centre to improve early detection and minimise the risk of people spreading the diseases.

Barts Health found that HIV rates in the borough were "very high" compared to the rest of UK after 59 new HIV diagnoses in 2013.

The disturbing stats give the borough a HIV prevalence of 4.8 per thousand people, aged between 15 and 59 years, compared to the national average of 2.1 per thousand.

In the first three months of 2015, 500 people contacted HIV charity Positive East.

Dr Lina Hijazi, consultant physician at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone, said: “New treatments available mean that now is an excellent time to find out people’s HIV and Hepatitis C status.

"Patients treated for HIV can live a normal lifespan and Hepatitis C drugs cure more than 80 per cent of those treated and prevent transmission to other people.

“It is shocking to think that over half of the people living with HIV or Hepatitis C in the London Borough of Waltham Forest were diagnosed late.”

People are invited take advantage of the free testing service in Walthamstow town centre from 10am to 6pm on Saturday (November 21) and Wednesday (November 25).