One in 100 girls under 16 is a gymslip mum, shocking new figures reveal.

Brighton and Hove is ranked among the three worst areas in the South East for under-age pregnancies, according to the latest Government data.

Critics claimed last night the easy availability of contraception was encouraging youngsters to have sex at an earlier age.

Brighton and Hove has a pregnancy rate of 9.5 per 1,000 under-age girls - much higher than East Sussex, at 6.4, and West Sussex, at 5.9.

East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, shadow minister for children, said: "There has been a tendency for the Government's teenage pregnancy strategy to focus on creating schemes where teenagers can get the morning-after pill and other forms of family planning more easily.

"The danger of that is it could lead to an increase in risky sexual behaviour among young people. We need to be far more preventative rather than reactive.

"There is a wealth of information given to young girls through teen magazines but no alternative for boys. It takes two to tango so we need to be much smarter in that respect."

Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust (PCT) works with the Children and Young People's Trust in trying to drive down the number of under-age pregnancies.

Several measures are already in place, including providing more sexual health services at GP surgeries, pharmacies and drop-in centres for young people.

Other schemes include Saturday family planning clinics at the Morley Street surgery in Brighton, school visits and a family planning nurse who travels along the seafront in a bus on Friday nights offering advice to teenagers.

Brighton and Hove city councillor Ken Norman, who is on the children, families and schools committee, said it was important that parents played their part in sex education.

He told The Argus: "The figures actually do not surprise me because Britain is the teenage pregnancy capital of Europe.

"It is certainly an issue that needs addressing and the key must surely be down to education.

"Parents and schools need to work together as I think a lot of parents leave it down to the schools, and that is not right.

"If you are making things like the morning-after pill easily available, teenagers may think there is an easy way out for them so could be inclined not to worry about getting pregnant."

West Sussex PCT recently launched a card scheme to make condoms and sexual health information more widely available to young people.

PCT health promotion manager Sarah Berger said: "There is no evidence to suggest schemes like this encourage young people to become sexually active.

"In fact research shows the more open and honest we are with young people, the greater the likelihood they will delay early sex and use condoms later on."