By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

A DUNDEE-based skin cancer expert has called for a national education programme in schools to tackle the “dramatic rise” in skin cancer.

Earlier this year Professor James Ferguson told members of the Scottish Parliament that thousands of fair-skinned Scots are dying unnecessarily from skin cancer.

Now, as the winds howl round about us and many think of heading for some winter sun, he maintains his campaigning zeal for promoting prevention while more and more people turn up in his clinics looking for cure.

Mr Ferguson says there is an “epidemic” of skin cancer and wants people with access to cheap foreign travel and sun beds to learn how to keep themselves safe and understand what damage their tanning habit can do.

He said there has been a 20% rise in skin cancer cases in recent times.

In Tayside each year around 70 patients are affected by malignant melanoma and almost 30% of these patients will die from the disease.

In addition, 1200 non- malignant skin cancers are removed in Tayside every year.

Mr Ferguson said that a successful schools education programme piloted in Tayside and Fife over the last three years with New Opportunities Funding is about to come to an end.

“The final report is due out next month,” he said. “The aim is to try and roll out this education programme throughout Scotland.”

Children are being warned that sunburn can double the risk of developing skin cancer and are being given simple methods of avoiding the risk, such as staying out of the sun between 11 am and 3 pm, wearing protective clothing and high-factor sunscreens.

But while working with colleagues throughout Tayside and Fife to spread the message about avoiding skin cancer, Prof Ferguson is not advocating total abstinence for sun junkies.

“We have never suggested people totally avoid contact with sunlight, but are against people unnecessarily burning,” he said.