Births to unmarried mothers at all-time high

THE number of babies born outside marriage is at an all-time high, figures have revealed.

In the first three months of this year, 17,473 babies were born, of whom more than a third or 5,905 were to unmarried mothers up 7.7% from 2006.

The total of first quarter births were up 9.5% from 2006, and up 30% from the first three months of 1998.