EAST Lancashire soap star Julie Hesmondhalgh is heading to Westminster on Monday to spearhead the fight against the disease that killed her Coronation Street character.

The Church-born actress, who played Hayley Cropper on the cobbles, will attend a special Commons debate to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.

Millions watched earlier this year as Hayley battled the illness with the lowest of all common cancer survival rates at just three per cent.

The 44-year-old said she realised the drama could help pancreatic cancer campaigners and supported an e-petition calling for greater awareness, set up by Maggie Watts from Scunthorpe whose husband Kevin died from the disease aged 48.

The petition gained 106,399 signatures triggering the parliamentary debate.

Julie said: “My big hope at the beginning of the pancreatic cancer storyline was to help get the petition to 20,000 signatures.

"What the Coronation Street storyline did for pancreatic cancer awareness is phenomenal, but much more attention and funding is required.

“There must be many people in East Lancashire who are suffering or who know someone who has died from this illness.

“It has a very low survival rate which has been unchanged for many years.

“Early diagnosis is vital.

“People and GPs need to be more aware of the early signs pancreatic cancer which is often mistaken fro irritable bowel syndrome.

“We also need much more research, some of which is being done at the Christie in Manchester.

“Pancreatic cancer, which only receives one per cent of cancer research funding despite being the UK's fifth-deadliest cancer, desperately needs to be in the spotlight.

“We need more money for this research and hopefully this debate means the government will be listening.

“The combination of a dedicated campaigner in Maggie Watts, a soap storyline and social media is powerful tool to combat this killer cancer."

The petition was started by Mrs Watts after her husband died from pancreatic cancer in 2009, 40 years after his mother fell victim to the same illness.

Mrs Watts said: “I am so pleased that Julie not only backed the petition but is attending the debate.”

The debate will be led by her local MP Nic Dakin and answered by a health minister