Tanning SalonWith skin cancer rates soaring, and deaths from this disease on the increase, it is often hard to understand why some people still bake themselves in the sun, or use sunbeds to bronze their skin.

Now, it seems, scientists may have come up with an answer. They have discovered a tanning  addiction gene.

Those with this genetic variation are more likely to crave sun.

It is hoped the discovery may shed more light on some people’s dangerous sun-worshipping behaviour, and help in the fight against skin cancer.

Rates of skin cancer have soared in the past fifty years, since tanning became fashionable.

UK figures show that malignant melanoma skin cancer, the deadliest type, has increased five times since the 1970s. More than 13,000 people are diagnosed with the disease and more than 2,000 die each year.

As with all cancers, early diagnosis is vital. Which is why we offer free skin cancer checks.