SKIN cancer is said to be the second most common form of cancer in the UK and the fastest growing.

Much of the blame is placed on thousands of families who jet off to sunnier climes for their holidays, without seeking advice from their doctors.

They rely on travel companies for advice who, in turn, say it is not their responsibility.

A doctor and wife team - Professor Ken Peattie and Dr Sue Peattie at Cardiff University - have been looking at the attitudes, beliefs and practices of adults and children to sunbathe safety.

They believe the time lag between sunburn and the first signs of cancer, sometimes up to 30 years, has allowed people, including the industry to drag heels over the situation.

"A quick browse through most of the travel industry's promotional material shows countless images of sun worshippers wearing unprotective clothing and sporting golden tans.

"A deeply tanned appearance is still considered by many in the UK to be a sign of health and wealth, yet the Australians increasingly view a deep tan as a mark of stupidity," says Professor Peattie.

In 20 years, the industry could be facing the same situation as the tobacco industry with legal claims from holidaymakers saying they were not warned against harmful sun over-exposure.

Dr Sue Peattie said they did not want to consign sunshine holidays to the past, only to call on the industry to act responsibly by warning customers about the long-term risks associated with sunburn.