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BRITS are gearing up for the all the sights and sounds of the festive season.

But imagine if you suddenly weren’t able to hear all those carols and Christmas hits?

Now the Daily Star has teamed up with the charity Action on Hearing Loss to highlight the plight of the 11million people nationwide with hearing difficulties.

Firefighter Steve Mintern, from Reading, Berks, right, was shocked when he lost his hearing overnight.

He recalls: “It all happened within a 24-hour period. I woke up and couldn’t hear my wife talking to me!”

The 50-year-old had no history of hearing problems, but experts said damage from noise exposure or a virus could be to blame.

Steve, who is married to Tina, 49, and has two children, Jack, 21, and Lucy, 19, had to put his career on hold as he struggled to come to terms with his hearing loss as well as tinnitus – unwanted noises in the ear.

But after being fitted with two hearing aids, he’s back at work.

He adds: “With the help of my team I was able to get back to where I was before my hearing loss.”

Action on Hearing Loss is working to develop effective treatments and find cures for hearing loss.

Senior audiologist Gemma Twitchen says: “Steve’s story highlights the need for more funding for research.”

Call Action on Hearing Loss on 033 3320 1442, text Hear08 £5 to 70070 to donate £5 or write to Freepost RTXZ-SZSU-REAA, Action on Hearing Loss, 1-3 Highbury Station Road, London, N1 1SE.