The were more abortions recorded in Devon in 2022, new figures show – as the number hit a record high across England and Wales.

Abortion provider MSI Reproductive Choices said it believes cost-of-living pressures and a lack of access to contraception through stretched NHS services are both "playing a bigger role" in decisions to have an abortion.

The latest Department of Health and Social Care figures show there were 2,081 abortions for residents of Devon in 2022 – up from 1,639 the year before and an increase from 1,523 in 2012.

Of the abortions in 2022, 94 were for under-18-year-olds.

There were a total of 251,377 abortions for women resident in England and Wales in 2022.

This was the highest number since the Abortion Act was introduced almost 60 years ago and a rise of 17% on the 2021 figure, the department said.

MSI said its own numbers show a rise of 27% in people turning to its clinics for abortion care in 2023, and a further 22% increase in the first quarter of this year.