Deborah James' final 'check your poo' warning and the bowel cancer symptoms to look out for'

It has been revealed that Deborah James' final wish for everyone was to 'check their poo' for signs of bowel cancer.

The campaigner, who went by BowelBabe on Instagram, tragically died this week after a six-year battle with stage 4 bowel cancer. Her family, who was around her during her death, released a statement in an Instagram post announcing her death.

The family post shared their pride in James' achievements while also sharing a 'few final things from Deborah'. "'Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope. And finally, check your poo – it could just save your life'," it read.

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It can sometimes be hard to recognise the symptoms of bowel cancer due to their subtlety and the fact it doesn't always make you feel ill, according to the NHS. However, there are some key symptoms people can look out for such as a change in bowel habits, blood in the poo, abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating.

Experts at Bowel Cancer UK also note that people should keep an eye out to see if they begin feeling tired for no reason or discover a lump in the tummy area or any pain. It added: "Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms.

"But if you have one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, go to see your GP."

Macmillan Cancer Support declared Deborah an "inspiration". It tweeted: "We are so sad to hear that Deborah James has died, and our thoughts are with her family and many friends.

"Deb has been an inspiration to us all. We’re so grateful for all of her generous support over the years, and her dedication