GET out your bras and wave them with pride!

That's the message to women all over York, North and East Yorkshire, as Breast Cancer Awareness Month gets under way.

On Saturday, breast cancer fighters and survivors toured York in an open-topped bus, forming a circle of bras in defiance against the disease.

Pauline Miller, 61, of Acomb, York, has been clear of breast cancer for four years.

She said she was proud to deliver the breast awareness message to Saturday shoppers.

"We had a fantastic time, we went around waving bras and shouting at people at doing things we wouldn't normally do - it was great.

"I think everybody needs to check themselves regularly. I wasn't one who did that and I don't think younger people do it because they think it's not going to happen to them, but more and more younger people are diagnosed with it."

Meanwhile, staff at lingerie store La Senza, in Coney Street, have launched a "cull" of unused old bras to raise money for charity.

From the stained and saggy to the racy and raunchy, York's unused bras will boost Breast Cancer Care's awareness campaign by thousands of pounds.

Over the next two weeks, for every old bra dumped in the special bins, La Senza will pledge a donation to the charity. Buying a new one will trigger a second donation. A La Senza spokeswoman said: "Loads of women stock up piles of nasty old bras - they're the sort of thing that you never really bother to chuck out, even if you don't wear them any more.

"Some people I know own about 20 bras, but only ever wear three or four of them. Well, now is the time to get rid of them once and for all, and it's all for an excellent cause."

All the dumped bras will be sorted and cleaned, and any suitable items will be donated to Oxfam.

Staff at Harrowell Shaftoe Solicitors, in York, today held a pink fun day, enjoying pink drinks and cakes, a pink quiz and a raffle. Receptionist Shirley Lewis was inspired to help Cancer Research UK after her cousin's son died of lymphoma. She said: "Everybody's got to wear something pink - including the men."

Updated: 10:30 Tuesday, October 04, 2005