The report by Rotherham Primary Care Trust also reveals an increase in the number of teenagers in the town becoming pregnant.

Just over 12 months ago Rotherham - once dubbed the teenage pregnancy capital of Britain - had one of the lowest under-18 pregnancy rates in the region, following the launch of a strategy to tackle the problem.

The number of conceptions went down by over 13 per cent but now the rate has risen from 49.5 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 17, to 54.

Around five per cent of girls aged 15 to 17 in Rotherham are now expected to become pregnant.

The increase bucks the overall national trend for a decreasing number of teenage pregnancies.

Trust experts say the figures relate to 2006 - and since then a lot of work has been going on to halt the increase. But they admit that with 300 mothers aged under 19 in Rotherham claiming benefits at any one time the cost to taxpayers is around £1.9 million a year.

Government health bosses recently met representatives from Rotherham and other areas experiencing a rise in pregnancies to discuss a solution.

Health officials in Rotherham are aiming to reduce under-18 pregnancy rates by 50 per cent by 2010 - and to increase the number of teenage mums staying on in education, or going into employment or training, to 60 per cent.

Youth workers are giving extra support to young women considered to be most at risk. Just one out of 63 teenagers receiving this type of support in a pilot scheme became pregnant

More than £118,000 will be spent on contraception advice for those most at risk from unplanned pregnancies. More youth clinics are also planned in areas thought to be more at risk, such as Kimberworth and Clifton, and sex and relationships education in schools is also being improved.


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