some of the country's highest rates of teenage mothers are in the North-East, according to a study.

The report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in York, shows that the district of Derwentside, County Durham, has a higher percentage of "gymslip mums" than anywhere else in Britain.

The neighbouring districts of Wear Valley and Easington are also in the top 12 in the UK.

The study looked at all 374 local authority areas in Britain and gave them a ranking based on the number of pregnant teenagers who chose an abortion rather than have their babies.

At 18 per cent, Derwentside has the lowest rate of abortion in pregnant girls aged 15 to 17. The national average is 44 per cent.

Malcolm Pitt, programme manager for SureStart Stanley, County Durham, which helps young parents return to education and employment, said: "In many ways, this is a positive statement about Derwentside.

"It shows people feel they have got the support networks around them to be able to have a baby, whether that is through close family ties or support services such as SureStart."

Dr Tricia Cresswell, chairwoman of County Durham and Darlington's NHS Improving Access to Termination and Pregnancy Services group, said: "The most important thing is prevention of teenage conceptions."

Only two areas in the region - Teesdale, in County Durham, and Harrogate, North Yorkshire - are in the top 100, where there are both low rates of teenage pregnancy and a higher proportion of terminations.

The study shows that abortion rates among girls tend to be lower in socially disadvantaged areas, even though these areas have the highest rates of conception among the under-18s.

The report, which was compiled by researchers from the Centre for Sexual Health Research at the University of Southampton, also states that teenagers who saw their lives as insecure were more likely to accept motherhood as a positive change in their lives.