CAMPAIGNERS last night reacted angrily to news that the age at which women are tested for cervical cancer will not be lowered from 25 to 20.

The decision was made following a review carried out by the independent Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening.

The panel agreed unanimously on no change being made to the screening age because evidence showed earlier screenings could do more harm than good, causing too many false positives and increasing the risk of premature births among some women.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, women are screened from the age of 20.

The decision has upset Paul Blackett, of Tow Law, in County Durham, who lost his 23-year-old wife, Sophie, to the disease in 2007.

The widower last month sent a 6,000-signature petition to Downing Street. He has also set up Sophie’s Trust – a charity to support young women and offer private screening.

Mr Blackett, 26, believes the Government is ignoring the health risks in a bid to cut NHS costs.

“This is very upsetting. It’s shocking really, after all the work we have been doing,” he said.

“I’m going to concentrate on setting up Sophie’s Trust so we can offer smear tests privately, but as for the campaign I’m not sure.”

The ACCS decision comes following calls for younger women to be screened in light of the death of reality TV star Jade Goody in March.

Lisa Askew, from Stockton, who was given a 50 per cent chance of survival after being diagnosed with cervical cancer, said she was angered by the decision.

As her cancer was so advanced, chemotherapy and a hysterectomy were the only options, shattering her dream of having children.

She has campaigned to have the screening age lowered following the death of her friend Claire Walker- Everett from the illness last September at the age of 23.

Mrs Askew, 33, said: “A vaccination has come in for girls aged 14, but the ones under 25 have nothing and many of them are going to die.

“It hurts because of all the work we have done but there’s no way they are going to knock me down. I am going to keep on fighting.”

A campaign by The Northern Echo in the Sixties led to a successful cervical screening pilot scheme, which then influenced the founding of a national service.