A CAMPAIGN to encourage more young women to attend cervical screening is being piloted in Middlesbrough with the help of actress Michelle Keegan.

The former Coronation Street star has given her voice to a new radio commercial being aired on TFM.

The campaign is scheduled to get underway tomorrow (Monday, May 18) with the radio adverts worked on in a partnership between NHS England and Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland Councils.

Cervical screening already saves up to 4,500 lives a year however many women who are eligible for screening do not take up their invitation.

Early detection and treatment can prevent 75 per cent of cancers developing.

In the advert to be broadcast Michelle, who recently starred in the BBC drama Ordinary Lies, says: “You get your roots done every six to eight weeks and you love painting your nails for a night out, but girls – it’s important to look after the bits you can’t see too.

“Cervical screening does just that, so if you are aged between 25 to 64 make an appointment as soon as that letter arrives.”

Edward Kunonga, director of public health for Middlesbrough Council, said: “We’re delighted to have hired Michelle Keegan as the voice of the radio commercials. Michelle is hugely popular with the target audience for the campaign and has a recognisable voice that will help the commercials stand out on air and resonate with female listeners.”

Dr Claire Bradford, head of public health for NHS England, Cumbria and the North East, said: “The cervical screening procedure is quick and it can save lives. If abnormalities are detected at an early stage then treatment can reduce the risk of cervical cancer developing, so it’s really important women attend their screening appointment.”