MOVES to provide free emergency contraception pills from chemist shops are under way in the region, it was confirmed last night.

The so-called "morning-after pill" is already available free of charge from NHS outlets such as GP surgeries and family planning clinics.

But girls who go to their local chemists in the hope of stopping an unwanted pregnancy have to pay almost £20 for the Levonelle-2 pill.

Pharmacists in the North-East have begun selling emergency contraception pills in the past few weeks but there is concern that younger girls might be put off by the relatively high price of the pills.

Now it has emerged that health authorities across the region are discussing rule changes which would allow chemists to provide the pills free to over-16s.

The region has some of the highest levels of teenage pregnancies in the country.

At least three North-East health authorities have discussed the controversial proposals.

Currently, health authorities in Manchester and Hull are running free pill pilot schemes.

If North-East authorities go ahead with the scheme, they will be among the first in the UK.

Alan Phillips, secretary of County Durham and Darlington Local Pharmaceutical Committee, said most chemists were just beginning to retail the pills, after staff had been trained to follow the strict guidelines.

"At present, we are having to charge people around £20. People are prepared to pay it but the whole point is to tackle teenage pregnancy and most pills seem to be bought by women in their 20s and 30s," said Mr Phillips, of Trimdon, County Durham.

He confirmed that talks had been held with County Durham Health Authority about supplying the pill free.

A spokeswoman for Tees Health Authority said: "We have had discussions about the possibility of going down this road. We will be reviewing the situation later this year."

A spokeswoman for Newcastle and North Tyneside Health Authority also confirmed that talks were under way.

A spokesman for the Brooke family planning clinic group said: "Anything that increases the availability of contraceptive services for young people is to be welcomed."

But Iain Bainbridge, a spokesman for the Christian Institute in Newcastle, said: "We believe this pill is a form of abortion and any move to make them more available is not going to encourage young people to think before they have sex.