More than half the women had already had at least one child or stillbirth, an 8 per cent increase since 2008

The number of abortions has reached a record high, with the rise being fuelled by older women.

Some 200,608 abortions were carried out on women living in England and Wales last year — a 4 per cent rise on 2017. Fifty-six per cent of the women had already had at least one child or stillbirth. In 2008 the figure was 48 per cent.

Abortion rates have increased in older women over the same period but have plummeted among under-18s.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) said the growth in abortions among women who were already mothers could be partly because of changes to the benefit system that capped child tax credits and the child element of universal credit to two children.

Clare Murphy, director of