Thousands of women are risking their lives by not having regular cervical smear tests.

More than 8,000 women aged between 25 and 64 in the East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority area have never had a test.

The authority says many more women are not returning every three years for regular checks.

Penny Bridger, a consultant in public health medicine at the authority, said the tests were vital and could save lives.

She said: "In 80 to 90 per cent of cases a screening will prevent a cancer from developing.

"This type of cancer is normally very slow to develop and so it is crucial that people come back for regular screenings."

Recent figures released by the Department of Health found that more than 86 per cent of women were being regularly screened in East Sussex, which is above the national average of 83.

Dr Bridger said she was pleased with the results but stressed every effort was being made to encourage the other 14 per cent to have a test. Places with lower response rates include socially-deprived areas of Brighton and Hove and Hastings.

Dr Bridger said: "We can see there are certain areas where women are not coming forward and we are targeting those areas.

"In the vast majority of cases the results of the tests will be negative but for those which show some type of abnormality we can do something about it if we get there early enough.

"The importance of the cervical screening programme is prevention and prevention is obviously better than cure."

Dr Bridger said part of the problem was many women did not think they were at risk of developing cancer or were embarrassed about the test.

Cervical cancer is the eighth most common form of female cancer in the UK.

The tests detect minute changes in cervical cells, picking up abnormalities before cancer develops.