Half of all abortions are provided to women whose contraception has failed, a new report suggests, amid fears many women falsely believe all birth control is foolproof.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), one of the country’s largest abortion charities, said 51 per cent of the 60,592 women it treated in 2016 were using at least one form of contraception when they became pregnant.

Around 15,000 - about a quarter - were using what are considered to be the most effective contraceptive methods when they conceived, including the pill, implant or patches.