Leading doctors said too many women who tried to preserve their fertility were doing so as a “last ditch effort” in their late 30s, when their chances of success were slight.

Less than one in three of those opting for egg freezing do so before the age of 35, despite the fact a lower age is “the highest discriminating factor for success,” obstetricians said.

Separate research shows that a paltry nine per cent of women who underwent the process for “social reasons” – such as the lack of partner, or career pressures – ended up returning to use their eggs. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists urged caution for women considering freezing their eggs for such reasons.