A HIGHER rate of teens who fall pregnant are having abortions in South Bucks, new figures show.

All three districts in the area have seen an increase in pregnant girls aged 15 to 17 having terminations.

However, the rate of girls falling pregnant is mostly falling throughout south Bucks.

Between 1998 and 2000 60 per cent of the 92 girls in Chiltern who got pregnant had an abortion.

This was 61 and 50 per cent in South Bucks and Wycombe.

But between 2004 and 2006 the figures rose to 68, 78 and 57 per cent respectively.

Overall though fewer girls aged 15 to 17 were pregnant.

Between 1998 and 2000 449 girls conceived - but this fell to 394 between 2004 and 2006.

This means Wycombe no longer has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Buckinghamshire.

It has gone from 30.6 girls per 1,000 conceiving to 23.9 - while Aylesbury Vale went from 27.1 to 24.

In Chiltern the pregnancy rate also fell from 18.4 to 12.9 - but rose in South Bucks from 21.6 to 23.8, a 10.2 per cent rise.

In England the conception rate fell 13.3 per cent since 1998.

Minister for Children, Young People and Families Beverley Hughes said the figures were further evidence that where areas apply our Teenage Pregnancy Strategy effectively, we are getting results'.