Teenage pregnancies which affect one in 10 girls under 18 in deprived parts of north Kent are to be reduced by increasing the availability of contraception and opening sex clinics.

West Kent Health Authority's 10-year teenage pregnancy strategy has revealed Swanscombe has the second highest pregnancy rate in west Kent, with 144.1 females under 18 in every 1,000 getting pregnant.

The average for England and Wales is 44.8 getting pregnant.

Other wards with high pregnancy rates are Horns Cross, Swanley St Mary's and Littlebrook.

Chairman of the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust (PCT) Dr Alasdair Thompson, who also works as a GP at the Stanhope Road surgery, in Swanscombe, said: "These figures are worrying and there is definitely a link between high pregnancy rates and social deprivation.

"This is why our the health authority and PCT's 10-year strategy to reduce teenage pregnancies by 15 per cent by 2004 is so important."

He explained free emergency contraception should be available in north Kent pharmacies as well as GP surgeries by the end of the year.

A specialist sexual health nurse will be appointed within the next two weeks.

There are also plans to open a sexual health clinic in the Health Living Centre, in Gravesend, this year and a clinic in Swanley next year.

Dr Thompson added: "At the moment, there is a pilot scheme in Sheerness where pharmacists are offering free contraception and it is likely this service will be available in North Kent by the end of 2002."

Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Community Health Council chairman Ernie Brook said: "Increasing availability of emergency contraception is vital if we are going to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies."

Other wards in North Kent with more than one in 10 pregnancies per 1,000 under 18-year-olds are:

Horns Cross (122.8 per 1,000)

Swanley St Mary's (116.47 per 1,000)

Littlebrook (105.6 per 1,000).

Only Sheerness East was worse, with 206 girls in every 1,000 under the age of 18 getting pregnant.