Liskeard's town crier has hit TV screens this month as the star of a national advertising campaign.

Dentist Chris Smirthwaite features in an advert for Sensodyne toothpaste which has been shown across the country. The advert was filmed at Chris' Smile Centre practice in the town.

Chris said: 'The link is that we use a lot of their products. Their sales representative knows the good reputation of the practice and he asked if we would help with the advertising campaign.'

The practice was taken over by seven members of a film crew.

Chris said: 'There were two cameramen, an interviewer, a sound guy and three members of the production team. It was three hours of solid interviewing asking me all sorts of questions about the products and then they only seemed to use the last few things that I said. Three hours of filming for a few seconds, no wonder adverts are expensive to make.'

Many of Chris' patients, friends and colleagues have seen the advert and commented on it.

He said: 'It's weird seeing yourself on TV, I think "that's not me". I don't look like what I see in the mirror every morning. Just about every customer whose been in has seen it. I'm even getting notes from outside laboratories saying "We saw you on the TV".'