The NHS want to raise awareness of head and neck cancer

The advert, which is launched across the UK on Monday, shows 58-year-old smoker Anthony Hicks lying in a hospital bed struggling to breathe.

He has a visible hole, or stoma, in his throat following a laryngectomy operation to remove his voicebox.

The NHS wants to raise awareness of head and neck cancer, 90% of whose sufferers are smokers.

"I will be alive to see that"

Mr Hicks talks about his illness and how his daughter is due to visit him from the United States.

His final words are: "I will be alive to see that."

The following image says he died 10 days after filming, and never got to see his daughters again.

Melanie Johnson, Minister for Public Health, said: "This new campaign is a stark reminder of the potential dangers of smoking and the horrific consequences it can cause.

A family photo of Mr Hicks in happier times

Head and neck cancer surgeon Shaun Jackson, who was Mr Hicks' consultant at the University Hospital in Aintree, said: "Few people actually realise that cancer can actually occur in any of the tissues and organs in the head and neck.

"Smoking is by far and away the biggest risk factor for such cancers - by stopping completely, you greatly reduce the risk of developing the condition."

Steve Mason, 46, a throat cancer sufferer from Liverpool, says he wishes he had a second chance.

"My family and I have to live with the consequences of smoking every day.