SUFFOLK darts star and beaten World Championship finalist Mervyn King has revealed the health fears which have preyed on his mind over the past year.King, from Ipswich, feared he may have developed stomach cancer last year after a series of health scares.

By Dave Vincent

SUFFOLK darts star and beaten World Championship finalist Mervyn King has revealed the health fears which have preyed on his mind over the past year.

King, from Ipswich, feared he may have developed stomach cancer last year after a series of health scares.

Number three seed King was booed by some of the crowd in the Lakeside World Championship at Frimley Green, after he demanded that the length from the darts ochee to the board be measured.

Despite being the favourite on Sunday night he lost to Dartford's Andy Fordham, by six-sets-to-three.

He said: "Even though I have been in six finals over the past year, before the World Championships, I have played some extraordinary darts and also some very loose stuff.

"My mind really hasn't been on top of things. I have had chest pains, pains in my stomach and suffered horrendous heart-burn.

"Me being a pessimist I thought of all the bad things. I always thought the worst. I had some tests, and was given the all clear, and they thought it was down to gastric problems in my stomach.

"I have been taking tablets for the heart-burn. But the pains in my stomach are still there.

"After the tablets finish, in four or five days, it is back to the hospital to talk to them. It will probably be more tablets or they will put a camera down inside to have a look in my stomach.

"If I have got an ulcer I will be relieved.

"Hopefully it is not cancer, which frightened the life out of me last year. I hope they get the camera down there and find out for certain. Every ache and pain I have now has got me worried.

"I had the flu at Lakeside and had a sore throat and an aching shoulder but it didn't stop me playing the final.

"But it is very hot up there. The air conditioning is not on, they stopped it because other players were complaining about it."

Last year King complained about the air conditioning affecting the darts at the world championships.

"I felt confident going in to the final. I have beaten Andy quite a few times, the same way he has beaten me. He is a hard player to player against because he is so static and slow and I am a rhythm player.

"He is a good player. He has won the world masters and now the world championship, which I haven't."

Mervyn's father Mick King, who is a county player and also helps coach young players, said: "Mervyn wasn't himself at the finals. I think his health problems have been preying on his mind.

And when he missed the nine darter I think that affected him too."