TEENAGE pregnancy rates in Redditch have reduced the most across the whole of the county according to newly released figures.

The news, announced last week, shows Redditch pregnancy rates in the under 18s have fallen from 53.7 per thousand teens to 40.9.

Between 1994 and 1996, Redditch was well above the national average rate of 43.5 per 1,000.

It was still higher than the national average between 1997 and 1999, which had increased to 46 per 1,000.

Teenage pregnancy co-ordinator for Worcestershire Health Authority and Worcestershire County Council, Sheena Stewart, said: "This downward trend in Redditch is very significant and really good news.

"Figures from 1994-96 showed Worcester, Redditch and Wyre Forest had the highest pregnancy rates in the county.

"But in the recent figures, released by the Office of National Statistics, Redditch rates have gone down the most.

"And apart from Wychavon, which has gone down slightly, everywhere else has gone up."

Mrs Stewart said she believed the work being done with young people in Redditch was behind the dramatic drop.

She said: "Redditch Council has been doing a lot of work with young people in the town for a long time - they have set up alliances and I think they are managing to change the culture.

"There are a lot of strong partnerships which have been formed with different agencies and I really think these figures are a manifestation of that.

"Family planning centres are also very popular."

Mrs Stewart added: "The figures for Redditch from 2000 to 2002 will be the most important as we'll be able to see if there is a definite downward trend."

A number of initiatives have also been introduced across the town to contribute to a 10-year plan to cut pregnancy rates in the under 18s across Worcestershire by 50 per cent.

A Time 4 U Clinic has been launched in Winyates, offering young people help and support on a range of issues, including sex and drugs.

And 11 GP surgeries in the town have become part in a scheme called Young People Friendly, aimed at making surgeries more accessible to young people.

Initiatives include appointments being given on the same day a young person contacts the GP.