A WOMAN who claims she suffered from "tanorexia" for 20 years today spoke of how using sunbeds has ruined her life.

Judith Dalton, 54, has developed a non-life threatening form of skin cancer which means she will have to undergo surgery every time affected patches appear on her body.

"I have been through a lot of trauma and it is going to continue for the rest of my life," she said.

"I never thought anything like this could happen because I was only going on the sunbed for half an hour a week.

"It is too late for me now but I want to warn others of the high price a permanent sun tan can cost." Judith, who has recently appeared on three television programmes speaking about her experiences, started using a sunbed when the first tanning shops opened in East Lancashire in the 70s.

She said: "I was quite vain when I was in my 30s and became obsessed with staying brown so I could look good in a bikini.

"The problem can't be put down to the sun as I hated sunbathing and never went abroad.

"I'm not so bothered now about my colour, but I have to wear a lot of make-up these days otherwise I look ill." Judith, of Livesey Street, Rishton, only stopped her weekly tanning sessions when a specialist confirmed a small pink patch on her chest was cancerous.

"The specialist told me not to sign away all my worldly goods because I wouldn't die, but said that the form of ulcers would probably continue appearing for the rest of my life," she explained.

"I have become totally paranoid about my skin as a result.

"I am constantly checking my body and looking in the mirror.

"I also suffer from spots now and areas of flaky skin."

But Judith's biggest worry is that her only daughter Vicky, 27, is refusing to stop using sunbeds despite her mother's experiences.

"I feel like really shaking her when I find out she has been on the sunbed.

"But like a lot of other people she thinks it won't happen to her."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.