ALMOST 150 St Helens women were denied potentially life-saving breast screening tests last week when the mobile screening unit in the town centre was forced to close for two days following a vandalsim attack.

The mobile unit, which is based in the car park of Safeway supermarket, was targeted sometime between Friday, April 14 and Monday, April 17 when vandals pulled the power supply cord outside. When staff arrived at the unit on Monday, weekend rain had also seeped through, and electricians spent two days working to restore power and make the unit safe for use again. It re-opened on Wednesday, April 19.

St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority estimate that 140 women were affected by the temporary closure and a spokeswoman said: "The power was back up and running by the Wednesday and the outside cord has been fitted in an extra strong case to give it extra protection from vandals. This was a pointless, irresponsible gesture by vandals which has caused complete mayhem for the system.These screening tests are very important for women and in some cases, can even save lives. The women involved may now have to wait a number of weeks for another appointment.