THE mum of Bradford television presenter Anita Rani is backing the city's bowel cancer early screening campaign.

Lucky Kaur was called back for further investigations after sending off her home test as part of the NHS programme which targets every man and woman aged between 60 add 74 who has a GP.

The kit, which can diagnose early cancer signs, comes through the post every two years and is simple to do at home.

Every year, 1,400 people aged 60 to 74 are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Yorkshire and The Humber and 420 people from that age group in the region will die from the disease.

Mrs Kaur, 63, of Odsal, said thankfully for her everything was clear but she wants to sue her experience to encourage others, especially from the South Asian community where uptake of screening is low - to do the home test.

“I now know that bowel cancer screening really can save lives. I hope when men and women see the awareness posters around Bradford and then receive their free screening kit, they will be encouraged to complete it and send it back because using this test was very easy. I would urge people not to put it off and just do it.”

"South Asian community people don’t like to talk about their bowels – especially women – because it is a private area of the body and socially and culturally there are many barriers but I am open about having my bowel screening. I am glad I went for the test as it has given me peace of mind.

"Very often by the time bowel cancer is diagnosed, it is often too late, so time really is of the essence. People need to take responsibility for their own bodies and their own health and do this test when they get it through the post."

Going for bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 25 per cent yet only 35.7 per cent of invited 60 to 69-year-olds within the NHS Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), took part in a bowel cancer screening programme over a 30-month period to 2014. The rate was the lowest anywhere in England, and well below the national average of 58.3 per cent.

Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesman for Yorkshire said: “We hope that Mrs Kaur’s experience will help more people to see bowel cancer screening as a normal part of looking after their health.

"The awareness campaign also emphasises the fact that completing the test is easier than people might think.

“The chances of surviving bowel cancer are much greater when it’s caught at an early stage. And screening is a crucial way to catch the disease early, before symptoms develop. Making the test easier for people, raising awareness, identifying why certain people don’t take the test and working out what can be done to address barriers, are all vital if we are to encourage more people to want to take part."

To find out more go to.cruk.org.uk/bowelscreening