Rise in London teenage pregnancies

Teenage pregnancies in London have risen by nearly 10 per cent, new figures reveal.

The increase is against the national trend and is a big embarrassment for the Government, raising doubts about its ability to meet its target of halving the number of teenage conceptions by 2010.

According to the Office of National Statistics, the number of teenage conceptions in Greater London rose from 5,975 in 1997 to 6,512 in 2002 - 23 of London's 32 boroughs saw teenage pregnancy rates rise.

In some boroughs, such as Haringey, the number has increased by more than a third. Other boroughs to record a sharp increase include Enfield, with a rise from 206 in 1997 to 292 in 2002, and Lambeth, up from 352 to 406 over the same period. Islington, Southwark, Bromley and Bexley also recorded increases.

Not all the pregnancies resulted in births: 633 under-16s in London had terminations in 2002.

Health chiefs have ploughed millions of pounds into policies to reduce teenage pregnancies. Initiatives under the Teenage Pregnancy

Strategy include making the morning-after pill available free in schools and handing out condoms. But despite the expenditure Britain has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in western Europe - four times higher than France.

The Department of Education and Skills says teenage conceptions in England have fallen by

9.4 per cent since 1998.

But Theresa May, Conservative spokeswoman for the family, said the Government needed to reconsider its policy: "Most worrying is the vast differences between boroughs.

"We need to examine why some boroughs are winning the campaign to stop children getting pregnant, yet in others pregnancy rates are out of control."

An Education Department spokeswoman said: "The Teenage Pregnancy Unit is identifying the hotspot areas and what further support can be provided."

The Family Planning Association blamed social exclusion, low academic performance and poor prospects - all "exacerbated in a big city", said a spokeswoman.