THE abortion rate in Somerset went up slightly last year, new figures reveal.

There were 1,244 terminations carried out in the area in 2017, that's a rate of 14.5 for every 1,000 women aged 15-44 compared to 14.3 in 2016.

The rate for the whole of England is 16.5 but ranges from 9.6 per 1,000 women in York to nearly three times that rate in Barking and Dagenham.

The highest rate in Somerset was among women aged 20 to 24, with the lowest for women aged over 35, while the figures show that 36 per cent of cases were classed as repeat procedures for a woman who had a previous abortion.

Dr Kate Guthrie, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "It is very encouraging to see a continuing decrease in the abortion rate for young women under the age of 25, and in particular for teenage girls.

"Meanwhile, abortion rates have been increasing for women aged 30 years and over.

"This may be due to the increasing number of sexually active women postponing first childbirth until into their 30s, and therefore having more years where contraception is required."

Most abortions in Somerset were carried out in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy (82 per cent). Just 8 per cent were carried out after 13 weeks.

Abortions can be carried out by a surgical operation or by taking a drug. The medical route is more common than surgery in Somerset.

Dr Guthrie said: "The reason for choosing abortion may be different in different pregnancies. Women have to make hard choices within their circumstances at the time."

She said that spending cuts leading to pressure on sexual health services were a concern.

"Sustained reduction in the public health budgets has led to widespread sexual health service cut backs," she added.

"It is absolutely crucial for women to have access to effective contraception and sexual health services. This will enable them to take control of their health and fertility by preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections."

In 2017, 189,859 women living in England and Wales had an abortion, plus 4,809 women who were non-residents.

The data shows that just over 60 per cent of those women came from the Republic of Ireland, where a recent referendum resulted in a vote to change the country's strict abortion laws.

A further 20 per cent were from Northern Ireland, where very tight controls on abortion remain and campaigners are lobbying to bring the area into line with the rest of the UK.

An abortion is permitted under the Abortion Act if two medical professionals agree that having the baby would be a risk to the physical or mental health of the mother.

Abortion is also allowed in cases where a child would be born with a serious handicap. This accounted for just 2 per cent of abortions in England in 2017.