More than 13,500 abortions were carried out last year in Scotland, according to Public Health Scotland figures.

It is the second highest total on record and the most abortions since 2008.

More than half of the 13,583 procedures involved mothers in their twenties.

Scotland’s abortion rate also saw a significant increase, with 13.2 per thousand women aged 15 to 44 aborting their unborn children. This is up from 11.4 per thousand five years ago.

The figures remain higher in England and Wales, at 18.6 per 1000 in the same age group.

Public Health Scotland also revealed that 581 of the abortions were for women over 40, a record number for this age group.