A CANCER-survivor from Bromsgrove was one of thousands forced to fork out a fortune for travel insurance as a result of their illness.

Cherie Uhrmacher, from Sidemoor, still avoids holidaying abroad despite being cancer-free for 14 years, after a previous battle to get travel insurance made her trip to Africa 'not worth the hassle'.

The 35-year-old said: "I’ve only gone to get travel insurance once to go to Africa, but it was a struggle to get it and was a lot more expensive than the people I was going with.

"A lot of insurers either declined or gave me a premium which was so high it made it not worth it. The hassle and cost of it have discouraged me from trying to go abroad since then.

"I work in insurance, but I don’t think it should be so difficult for people with cancer to get covered for travel, especially when they were treated some time ago like I was."

New research by Macmillan Cancer Support has revealed a similar trend nationwide.

The British survey, conducted by YouGov, revealed 7,500 former cancer sufferers - around one per cent - had paid £1,000 or more to insure themselves on a single trip.

On average, people with cancer paid £133 for their policies - nearly four times the average cost of annual travel insurance.

In 2016, 900 people in the Midlands region alone turned to Macmillan for help with travel insurance. The charity is now calling on insurance firms to ensure people living with cancer are treated fairly.

Jo Judges, head of service for the Midlands at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "It’s unfair because the people our information specialists talk to just want a break when they need it most, to recuperate, celebrate the end of their treatment or spend precious time with friends or family.

"But instead they often find they are asked insensitive questions by insurers, must pay extortionately high premiums or run the risk of travelling without cover for cancer-related claims.

"We always advise people not to leave it until the last minute as unfortunately they need to plan ahead as it may not be as easy and straightforward to get insurance.

"We would also suggest visiting the Macmillan online community to see the latest recommendations for the best travel insurance companies made by people who have first-hand experience with them."

To find out more, call 01562 513273 or visit community.macmillan.org.uk for recommendations on insurers.