One in four teenagers aims to get sunburnt

A QUARTER of teenagers deliberately get sunburnt because they believe their burn will turn into a tan, according to a new survey by the Teenage Cancer Trust. The trust, which is launching a sun safety campaign - Shunburn - aimed at youngsters, found 26 per cent of people aged between 13 and 19 would allow their skin to burn this summer.

It said 31 per cent of young people admitted never using sun cream in the UK, and 55 per cent believe the sun is less harmful in the UK than abroad. In Britain incidences of malignant melanoma have more than quadrupled over the past 30 years and it is now the second most common cancer in young adults (aged 15 to 34) in the UK.

Shunburn aims to educate teenagers and young adults about skin cancer to prevent skin damage that can lead to skin cancer in later life. Researchers found that 22 per cent of teenagers have fallen asleep in the sun and been badly burnt, while three quarters believe you will never be burnt on cloudy days.