And the Department of Health statistics, which show there were 2,069 abortions performed in the county in 2007, reveal the figure is the highest in the Midlands.

Alan Eccles, the chairman of Northants branch of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC), said: "Quite often national league tables don't mean much to people but when figures are this large for the area you live, it brings the issue home to you.

"There are two reasons why abortions are so high. One is that women think they have little choice even though there is counselling and care available if they choose to give birth.

"The second is that the Government actively promotes it."

SPUC says that many GPs would refuse to refer women for abortions on the grounds of conscience or religious or medical reasons.

But, SPUC says, the Department of Health insists that every woman who inquires about abortion is immediately referred for one.

But a spokeswoman for the Department of Health suggested the reason why Northamptonshire's rate of abortions was so high was that the figures are being boosted by women from outside the county.

She said: "In Northants, the number of women per thousand who have abortions is a little bit lower than the national average.

"Given its high placing in the table, it probably means there are people coming from outside Northamptonshire to have abortions in the county."

Almost 30 per cent of the abortions in Northamptonshire – or a total of 616 – involved women aged between 20 and 24.

Primary Care Trust areas which had a higher number of abortions than Northamptonshire in 2007 included Hampshire, Croydon, Lambeth, Newham, and Southwark. The other five were Eastern and Coastal Kent, Liverpool Leeds and Manchester.

Northamptonshire PCT said it was trying to address the number of abortions with schemes which prevent unwanted pregnancies.

It said a scheme to have the morning after pill available in pharmacies as well as GPs has seen a large uptake among 18 to 25s since it was launched in October.