The latest abortion figures for England and Wales were released last week by the Department of Health. They showed a slight increase on the previous year’s figures, and taking the overall picture from the past 10 years,we have had a rise of eight per cent in abortions since the year 2000 – from 175,000 to 189,574 last year(not including Scotland).

To break down the statistics even more, it means 17,000 babies a month are aborted.

According to the Department of Heath statistics more than 99 per cent of abortions were carried out not because of life-threatening conditions involving the baby, or because of serious physical conditions involving the mother, but on the grounds of the mental health of the mother.

My question is this: Do we really have such colossal mental health issues, or is it a case of abortion on demand?

Could it be a case of being inconvenient,unplanned and unwanted? Are these legitimate reasons for ending a life?

Are we, as a society losing our ability to be shocked?

Because these figures are indeed shocking. What will it take for us, as a society, to realise that something is seriously wrong.

My final question is this: If we can do this to the most vulnerable,defenceless of our humankind (and not be shocked),what does that say about us as a society?

Steve Jack, Damson Trees, Shrivenham