A URINE test which detects the human papilloma virus could offer women a less invasive alternative to a cervical smear test, experts have said.

Offering a less time-consuming alternative could also increase screening uptake, they said.

Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus is one of the commonest sexually transmitted infections - up to 80 per cent of sexually active women are infected at some point in their lives.

While many strains of HPV are harmless, others can disrupt the normal functioning of cells and trigger cervical cancer.

At present, medics screen for cervical cancer using smear tests which detect the presence of pre-cancerous cells. In Scotland, screening is routinely offered every three years to women aged between 20 and 60. This will be extended to the age of 64 from 2015.

But the researchers analysed data from 14 studies which held information on 1,443 women.

The study, published on thebmj.com, found the tests that identified the presence of HPV were 87 per cent accurate, and 94 per cent of tests that gave negative results gave the correct result.Two strains of the virus, HPV 16 and HPV 18, have been found to cause around 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases.