MORE than half of men from Yorkshire and Humberside admit they would delay going to the doctor if they developed warning signs of cancer.

A survey of 1,888 adults found that only 45% of men questioned said they would seek medical help if they found traces of blood in their stool - one of the most common symptoms of bowel cancer.

Younger men said they would be too embarrassed to visit their family doctor, whereas those in the 45+ group were worried about what the GP may find.

Lack of time was a factor across all groups.

Bowel cancer affects nearly 19,000 men in the UK each year.

Bobby Moore, England's 1966 soccer World Cup winning captain, died from the disease in 1993.

The survey was commissioned by Cancer Research UK to launch its Man Alive Campaign.

The campaign aims to promote greater awareness of the symptoms of male cancers, including lung, bowel, prostate and testicular cancer.