A cancer charity in the UK has raised concerns about the number of people who admit that they sunburn on purpose in order to “deepen” their tan.

Macmillan Cancer Support said that 40 per cent of Britons consciously burn their skin despite the known health risks.

The charity said that getting a painful sunburn just once every two years can triple the risk of skin cancer.

A poll of 1,000 British adults also found that 25 per cent believed that burning in the sun was the “only” way to get a tan.

Carol Goodman, skin cancer nurse specialist on the Macmillan Support Line, said: “This new research shows that despite being aware of the health risks people are still burning themselves in the sun in order to get a tan.

“It is alarming that staying safe in the sun is not a priority for many people.

“Sunburn will cause serious damage to your skin which can lead to cancer. A diagnosis of malignant melanoma can be just as fatal as some other cancers.

“It is vital to protect your skin when out in the sun by using suntan lotion, wearing sun protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) or staying in the shade between noon and 4pm.”

Early treatment key to outcome

Judy Duddridge was left with a small scar but is relieved she tackled the problem in time. Photo: Chris Radburn/PA Wire

Judy Duddridge had never much cared for tanning – so when she was diagnosed with skin cancer it came as a bolt from the blue.

The 45-year-old mother-of-three from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, first noticed a blemish between her eyebrows six years ago.

“It would come and go. Sometimes it looked like a spot or a scratch,” she said.

“After about a year I found myself trying to cover it with make-up and realised I should see a doctor.”

Duddridge, an adult education manager, was diagnosed with skin cancer and underwent a day procedure to remove the affected area.

She was left with a small scar but is relieved she tackled the problem in time.

She said: “I could have sought help sooner but it didn’t seem like any significant at first.

“Other people may be put off by the thought of having to undergo an operation but that shouldn’t be a deterrent.

“It wasn’t a very pleasant procedure but it was short and I’m glad I had it done.

“My cancer was never going to kill me but, had it been left much longer, it could have gone deeper and harmed my eyes.”

Duddridge believes her skin cancer had it origins in her childhood growing up in Dubai.

“In those days we didn’t think much about sun protection,” she said.

“I certainly wasn’t sunbathing or anything like that. I just had a very outdoorsy lifestyle of sailing, cycling and things like that.

“I now know that it can take just one incidence of sun burn to result in problems in later life.”

She now takes extra precautions by wearing factor 15 sun lotion at all times in winter and factor 30 in summer and by covering up and keeping in the shade whenever possible.

“It may seem like a hassle but it just becomes part of your routine – like putting on moisturiser or body lotion,” she said.

“I am much more careful with my own children and they understand the risks.

"My 18-year-old son is off on holiday to Spain soon and he told me some of his friends aren’t planning on using any sun protection at all.

“But he realises that is silly and will be much more careful.

“My message to anybody is to be much more careful as my case shows you don’t have to be a sun worshipper to get skin cancer.”- Judy Duddridge