A woman who filmed herself having her first smear test says she's pleased action is being taken as the number of people going for screenings has fallen to a 20-year low.

Public Health England has launched a national campaign to encourage more woman across England to attend their cervical screening after the figure dropped to its lowest point in two decades.

New figures released today by the health authority show that a quarter of eligible women (those aged between 25 - 64) in the UK are not attending their test. The screening is designed to detect the early signs of cervical cancer - a disease which kills around two women everyday.

Sophie shared her reaction to the smear test on social media

Last year, Sophie Brandon decided to share her first smear test by filming it whilst it was being carried out and posting it onto social media.

The 25-year-old says she posted the video on her Facebook to show her friends how quick and easy the test is after they raised concerns about having it done.

More than 7,000 people viewed the video of her cervical screening since she uploaded it in June.

The new initiative - branded 'Cervical Screening Saves Lives - hopes to increase the number of women attending their cervical screening across the country.

Hear Sophie talk about her smear test here

More than 2,500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer across the country each year. It is thought that if everyone went for a screening regularly, 83% of cases could be prevented.

Miss Brandon - who lives in Willesborough and runs a barber shop in High Halden - says she welcomes the new campaign.

She told Kent Online: "I had so many women message me saying it looked completely painless and it's not what they thought, so I'm really pleased that it had that reaction and I could help at least some people.

"It is painless and I barely felt a thing. You can feel something happening but it does not hurt and it is over so quickly. They don't care if you've shaved, it's their job, they've seen it all before and they really aren't looking, they are just doing their job to look after you and make sure your health is okay.

"If you did have anything wrong with you, at least you could find out at the earliest stage as possible to do something about it.

"If any of you are nervous about it, talk to your friends and get support. We are all women, we've all got to go through this and we can do it together."

Two salons in Kent offer free waxes to women ahead of their smear tests.