A YORK nursery has come up with a new scheme to encourage women to get checked for cervical cancer.

It was reported in The Press that fewer women are signing up for smear tests in the city.

Staff at Blue Sky Day Nursery, which has sites at Clifton Moor and Market Weighton, were horrified by the stats and cooked up an initiative to encourage more mothers to get themselves checked out.

In response to the issue, the nursery is offering free creche sessions to mothers who want to go for their test without their children in tow.

Business manager, Jo Watson, said: "The business owner, Vivienne Pooleman, always goes out of her way to help other people if she can.

"We discussed it and came up with this idea.

"The 'Jade Goody effect' has worn off and if you haven't got any option other than to take your kids it just makes things ten times worse.

"Sessions will free up some time to go and we are happy to offer them free for as many women as we can."

Director of public health at the council, Sharon Stoltz, has highlighted the problems in York, which are part of a national trend.

As previously reported in The Press, the target for cervical cancer screening is 80 per cent, but York's attendance is currently below that at just under 72 per cent.

Attendance among younger women, aged 25-29 is particularly low.

Figures from Cancer Research UK show that there were 3,126 new cases of cervical cancer in Britain in 2015, while 854 people died from the disease in 2016.

Cervical screening, known as smear tests, can help prevent cancer.

Patients will receive an invitation to make an appointment with their GP or nurse when their next test is due.