AMERICAN "dial-a-bride" Caroline Digger has dubbed breast-screening facilities at Ronkswood Hospital barbaric in comparison to the US.

But despite this, Caroline, who has changed her name to Kaylee Townsend, is still urging Worcester women to use the service in order to identify cancer before it spreads.

She was recently diagnosed with a lump in her breast just prior to visiting Worcester where she is publicising her book - He Calls Me Caroline - about her whirlwind romance with romeo city cabbie, Pete Digger.

Miss Townsend and Mr Digger hit the headlines 11 years ago when he proposed over the phone and she accepted - the pair later divorced, but remain friends.

Since being seen at Ronkswood she has been told there is nothing wrong with her, but has been dismayed by the facilities in comparison to her home state of Oregon.

As a gesture she has offered to give half the proceeds of her book sales towards buying an up-to-date screening machine.

"I just want to get across to the public that I have this problem, and even if you have to use this old machine it's better to be screened," she said

But she said her experience at Ronkswood had left her "frightened to go again because it is so brutal".

"They take your breast put it in a compressor and squeeze it. It's like being crushed by a boa constrictor.

"My sister had breast cancer and it really scares me," she admitted.

"When I saw this equipment I thought no wonder people don't go. I love England but the mammogram was barbaric."

She said in America they have a machine which circles the patient taking X-rays, which is a lot less painful.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said it was totally satisfied with its mammography equipment, which provides all imaging and biopsy facilities.

"The equipment, which undergoes regular maintenance and physics checks, is on our 10-year replacement programme, and when the new hospital opens next year it will be replaced," said a spokesman.