A spike in cervical screening prompted by Jade Goody's high-profile battle with cancer has almost been reversed three years after her death.

A quarter of a million fewer women went for the test last year than in 2008/9 when the Big Brother star was pushing the importance of the check-up.

Her friend and business partner in the beauty salon in Loughton, Essex said Jade would be devastated if she knew fewer women were now coming forward.

"She was there 100%. Hammer and tongs she was going for it. She really wanted to make an impact with everyone else's life," said Julie Morris.

"She told everyone that when you are told do this, doctors aren't writing pen on paper for no reason. You must do what they tell you to do... go when they tell you to."

Cervical cancer can be treated with drugs and or surgery

The news was broken to Jade while she was starring on the Indian equivalent of Big Brother in August 2008.

The mother-of-two had ignored abdominal pains. By the time she was diagnosed it was too late. Her cancer had spread to her bowel, liver and groin.

Jade died on Mother's Day 2009, just weeks after getting married to Jack Tweed.

Tara Valentine, from Blackpool, also ignored her screening letter and the signs that things were not right.

When she finally went for a test, doctors found she had cancer and she ended up having a hysterectomy. Unlike Jade, the disease was found early enough to save her.

"The doctor explained that had I left it another six months it would have been too far gone - too late," said Tara, who has two sons aged six and 11.

"It's so important to have the smear when its due. Don't be scared of it because it can save your life. It saved mine.

"I think about it everyday. I think about my sons and how they would miss out on having a mum."

When Jade first found fame in 2002 as a housemate on Big Brother, she was regularly criticised for her lack of general knowledge and frequent gaffes.

But her campaign to publicise cerival cancer prompted nearly 400,000 more women to go for screening and won her huge respect .

Julietta Patnick, the director of NHS Screening Programmes, said: "In the developing world cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women.

"In this country it isn't as we can control it with cervical screening so I would say to women, take control, get yourself screened, then if we find something small we can treat it easily before it turns into cancer."