A WIDOWER wants to lower the age women can have their first smear test after his 26-year-old wife died of cervical cancer four months after their wedding.

Hairdresser Dawn Weston, from Eastbourne, died in May after husband Daniel claims she was refused a smear test three times by doctors when she initially suspected cervical cancer aged 24. She was experiencing severe back pain in 2012 and thought it was due to standing up all day in the town’s Bandeau salon, owned by Mr Weston’s mother Marie, where Dawn worked as a manager.

When she first visited a doctor, she was denied a test as she was under the minimum age of 25. But she was diagnosed with the disease when she was finally tested in February last year and was treated.

Sadly, the cancer returned again in December. The couple moved their wedding forward and enjoyed their special day in January before Mrs Weston began chemotherapy.

Now Mr Weston, a 28-year-old builder, said he is working with MP Stephen Lloyd to take his campaign, which ignited on Facebook, to Downing Street.

He said: “I think Dawn would still be here if she had been able to have the test when she first started experiencing symptoms. It was awful to find out she had weeks to live and I was angry knowing that she had been denied the test because of her age.

“I am campaigning for this change for Dawn’s sake but I also think it makes sense to lower the age. More people are having sex younger now and the minimum age of the test needs to reflect that. So many people have contacted me asking what the symptoms of cervical cancer are since hearing Dawn’s story. I think there should also be more information available to help people detect the disease.”

Since Dawn’s death two fundraising projects have raised nearly £30,000 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Eastbourne, where she stayed.

He said: “It began with a dog walk Dawn and I were due to take part in.

“Unfortunately, she was too ill to do it, so I did it anyway, and people have kept donating. The hospice has also launched a fund in memory of Dawn and people keep donating, and we’ve also helped with fundraising events. It’s a really good feeling doing it. It’s given me something to focus on in Dawn’s memory and I think she would be pleased with the idea and would support it.”

A hospice spokeswoman said: “The gratitude for the care and support we have been privileged to provide to Dawn, by both families and close friends, has resulted in their fundraising dedication, supporting both our events and their own.

“Their valiant quest so far is such a wonderful tribute to Dawn.

“We are in awe of the family’s strengths to not only fundraise for us but also their campaign to raise awareness for the cervical cancer screening and smear testing to be made available predominately for 18 to 25-year-olds.”

The charity cares for more than 1,000 patients across East Sussex, from Eastbourne, Polegate, Pevensey, Seaford, Hailsham, Heathfield, Uckfield and surrounding areas every year. It receives just 15% of funding from the NHS, and the rest is provided through fundraising and donations.

To donate, visit www.justgiving. com/marie-weston1/ and stwhospice. tributefunds.com/fund/Dawn+ Weston/showFund/.