Official figures released today show the number of abortions in England and Wales rose by 2.5%. A total of 198,499 babies were killed by abortion in 2007 - an average of 544 killed every day.

The highest abortion rate was in women aged 19 years.

The number of abortions among girls aged under-14 rose to 163, up 21%.

In the under-16s, the number of abortions rose to 4,376, an increase of 10% from 3,990 in 2006.

68,527 babies were killed using the "abortion pill" up 5% from 2006.

1,939 babies were killed by abortions because they may have been disabled.

The figures comes only weeks after MPs in Westminster voted against the lowering the time limit for abortion during the debate on the HFE Bill .

Amendments to make the killing of unborn babies even easier have been tabled by pro-abortion MPs for the Report Stage of the HFE Bill.

Figures released in May 2008 revealed abortions in Scotland also soared to a record high. There were 13,703 abortions carried out – an average of 38 babies killed every day – compared to 13,163 the previous year.

The number of babies killed by abortion in the UK has been rising every year ever since the Abortion Act was passed in 1967.

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